According to reports, unrestricted free agent center Hassan Whiteside has agreed to re-sign with the Miami Heat. His new deal is worth $98 million over four years — his maximum amount of money over that span. It will take Whiteside through the end of the 2019-20 season. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 7th.
The Players Tribune broke the news on Friday morning:
BREAKING: The next chapter in @YoungWhiteside’s career begins now. https://t.co/wvbAYqYAhz
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) July 1, 2016
Ethan J. Skolnick of the Miami Herald later reported that Whiteside is willing to take less than the reported $98 million if the Heat are able to get superstar Kevin Durant to commit to signing with them:
New info on Whiteside deal: it's not necessarily a 4 for $98M max. He agreed to some wiggle room if Durant wants to come.
— Ethan J. Skolnick, 5 Reasons Sports (@EthanJSkolnick) July 1, 2016
Report: Hassan Whiteside Agrees to Re-sign with Miami Heat
Whiteside averaged career highs of 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game last season for the Heat. However, he missed the last four games of Miami’s seven-game second round series loss to the Toronto Raptors in the 2016 NBA Playoffs due to a knee injury suffered in Game 3 of that series.
Whiteside has been widely criticized for his stat-chasing on the court. Although all of his stats point to Whiteside being an outstanding defensive player, he often chases blocks that he has no chance of getting, leading to easy offensive rebounds and baskets for the opposition. Whiteside’s aggressive stat-padding must be part of the reason why he led the league in blocks last year, and finished third in rebounds per game, his critics argue. The Heat were barely better in defensive efficiency last year with Whiteside on the court, as opposed to when he was off the court, despite the fact that Whiteside often played against inferior second units — he started just 43 of the 73 regular season games in which he played. Additionally, Whiteside is known to be a headcase on the floor, often being yelled at by Heat teammate Dwyane Wade, along with head coach Erik Spoelstra.
Whiteside’s attitude problems are much of why it’s taken him so long to become successful in the NBA; the 27-year-old didn’t break out until partway through the 2014-15 season with the Heat, in which he played 48 games. Whiteside was originally selected by the Sacramento Kings with the third pick of the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft. After playing in just 19 games through his first two seasons, Whiteside bounced around the NBA Development League and several different NBA Summer League teams. Eventually, he landed with the Heat, after more than two seasons out of the league. After playing on a minimum contract in Miami for the past two seasons, Whiteside is finally cashing out here in free agency.
Despite his issues, Whiteside will continue to provide crucial rim protection and rebounding as the starting center in Miami. If he can screw his head on straight, stop chasing stats now that he’s earned his first big NBA contract, and play with a combination of effort and intelligence, Whiteside will be an integral part of his new team’s future plans. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with, as well, with potential to develop into a top five center in the league, as he hits his prime — given that he starts playing for the right purposes.
In the past, Whiteside has shown a willingness to work hard and adjust things, in order to refine his game. After shooting just 50 percent from the free throw line in the 2014-15 season, and making 55.2 percent last season before the All-Star break, Whiteside shot 75 percent from the charity stripe after the All-Star break — an astounding improvement. Unlike other big men who struggle from the line, such as Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan, and Andre Drummond, Whiteside tried something unconventional in order to help make his free throws. Whiteside started jumping on free throw attempts, and even given his soft midrange touch, it’s still amazing how rapidly Whiteside improved. Whiteside’s newfound free throw stroke makes it much harder to stop him when he rolls down the lane on pick-and-rolls, as teams cannot simply hack him inside and send him to the line to brick a couple of free throws.
Whiteside’s improvement, or lack thereof, may make or break the Miami Heat’s championship aspirations in the 2016-17 season.
Check out the LWOS 2016 NBA Free Agency Tracker for all of your NBA free agency coverage, and be sure to follow @LastWordHoops on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the latest NBA news.
