On Monday, the Portland Trail Blazers came out of left field in acquiring Hassan Whiteside in a trade with the Miami Heat, sending back Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard in return.
So, what exactly are the Blazers doing here?
I understand that Jusuf Nurkic is recovering from a gruesome broken leg injury, but by all accounts, he is making great progress and may very well be available to play sometime in December or January.
Okay; so Portland felt it needed a big man to fill the void until then, but it could have just re-signed Enes Kanter, who ended up bolting for the Boston Celtics. Or, the Blazers could have picked up another cheap center on the market just to hold down the fort until Nurkic returns.
Instead, Portland kind of tried to hit a home run by landing Whiteside, a mercurial, moody center who is a great rebounder and shot-blocker, but isn't particularly good at anything else.
He can't score outside the paint, he is a bad free-throw shooter, he isn't a good passer, he is a lazy screen-setter at times and he actually isn't all that great of a defensive player in spite of his ability to protect the rim, as he can't defend in space and frequently misses rotations because he is chasing blocks.
Not only that, but Whiteside is known for his capricious demeanor, and when Nurkic returns and likely supplants Whiteside in the starting lineup (or at least seriously eats into his playing time), how will Whiteside respond? Will he pout like he did in Miami?
I get that the Trail Blazers don't exactly have much cap flexibility, and after making it to the Western Conference Finals and seeing the Golden State Warriors basically fall apart last month, they may have felt like they were a move or two away from legitimately contending.
But this feels like a panic move from Portland.
No, the Blazers did not exactly give up much to land Whiteside, and yes, he only has a year remaining on his deal, but you are also taking the risk of Whiteside damaging that locker room, and we don't have to look any further than the Celtics to see how much a toxic locker room can affect on-court performance.
To be fair, Portland did need a big who can block some shots, as Nurkic is not really a rim protector and relies more on his bulk and toughness rather than his athleticism, so Whiteside can help in that regard.
Also, Whiteside can provide Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum with an adequate pick-and-roll partner, as he can at least finish lobs around the rim.
Honestly, if the Trail Blazers didn't already have Nurkic, I wouldn't hate this move, but the fact that Portland added another traditional center to a roster that already has one is what makes this such a head-scratcher.
The Trail Blazers could have merely went out and gotten a center on the cheap to bide some time until Nurkic's return, giving the young and talented Zach Collins some minutes in the process.
But instead, they went out and traded for a volatile big man who is going to make things very awkward once Nurkic is ready to retake the floor.
I guess we'll see how this goes.
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