Getty Images Hassan Whiteside taking a shot.
The Miami Heat are in a strange situation this season. Despite being a playoff caliber team last year, they are struggling to stay relevant within the Eastern Conference so far this season. Are they completely doomed? Not exactly. But with the way the season has been going, it seems like the Miami Heat are going to be one of the more active teams before the trade deadline approaches this season, that’s for sure.
The rumors have already been going around as of late. Draft picks and select players have been mentioned, but now after a small incident on Tuesday, there is a disgruntled veteran on the team that may want out. Rumor has it that the Heat are looking for a trade partner so they can deal out their veteran center, Hassan Whiteside.
According to NBA Writer Sam Amico, the Heat are looking to trade Whiteside soon. Unfortunately, no teams are interested as of right now. What’s the problem exactly? Well, apparently, NBA front offices aren’t too interested in Whiteside’s contract situation. Paying $24 million for a center who was benched for pretty much the second half of the game the other night is not ideal for any teams payroll situation.
What’s the Word Around the League?
While speaking with an anonymous front office source, Amico was told that despite the low interest for Whiteside, moving the seven-footer would not be impossible. After all, this is the NBA. If the Heat are really trying to get a deal done in order to get rid of Whiteside, it will get done. It just may take some time. There’s still a couple of months left to go before the deadline approaches. During that time, Whiteside’s value could either increase or decrease.
Right now, Whiteside does not have an ideal price tag for Miami to sell. As he is averaging around 13 points-per-game in about 26 minutes, he isn’t exactly worth paying up for. Not to mention, Whiteside’s frustrations with himself and the team led to him walking off the court early the other night. The big story going around is that Whiteside simply had to use the bathroom. But according to his head coach, Erik Spoelstra, Whiteside was ‘frustrated.’