Hassan Whiteside called his lack of minutes "bulls—," blamed his role for his postseason struggles and complained about his minutes again after the 76ers eliminated the Heat from the 2018 NBA playoffs. Oh, and that was only the last month of Miami's season.
The mercurial center has gone from a franchise cornerstone after signing a four-year, $98 million contract in 2016 to an unmovable asset two years later. It's no surprise to see the Heat trying to trade Whiteside based on how the 2017-18 campaign ended, but Miami's front office is quickly realizing that's easier said than done.
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With few teams seeking an expensive frontcourt player lacking much room for improvement, Heat president Pat Riley is prepared to keep Whiteside and rebuild a tenuous relationship, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.
Riley is not going to accept even worse contracts in exchange for a player who led the league in blocked shots three seasons ago and rebounding two years ago.
While some others in the organization were ready to cut bait, Riley still views this situation as salvageable.
And Whiteside's return now appears likely, so much so that all parties have begun the process of mending a relationship that grew strained on several occasions last season. Coach Erik Spoelstra said last week that he and Whiteside have been in communication and went to lunch.
This sounds nice from Miami's perspective, but it's hard to believe the Heat wouldn't pull the trigger on a reasonable deal, especially one that would potentially clear cap space with several marquee free agents set to hit the open market next year. The truth is the Heat have limited options with Whiteside set to earn more than $24 million this coming season and $27 million in 2019-20. If Riley isn't willing to sell low, Whiteside is staying in South Beach.
And it's not just the hefty checks that present a problem. Whiteside is a rim-protecting, back-to-the-basket big man in a league featuring more versatile wings than ever before. His minutes declined because the Heat actually played better with him off the floor during the regular season.
| Heat with Whiteside | Off Rtg | Def Rtg | Net Rtg | Eff FG% | Asst % |
| On (1,364 mins) | 101.2 | 103.5 | -2.4 | 49.5 | 55.4 |
| Off (2,622 mins) | 105.4 | 103.4 | 2.1 | 53.3 | 60.1 |
Those numbers looked worse during the Heat's first-round series with the Sixers with Whiteside averaging only 5.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in 15.4 minutes per game. He often came across as aloof and unconcerned about the result of high-intensity playoff games.
This dude is miserable pic.twitter.com/3CMVie53L7
— Born Salty (@cjzero) April 20, 2018
Maybe Whiteside is right and a little more playing time and freedom offensively from Erik Spoelstra will limit those postgame outbursts. A few conversations with both Spoelstra and Riley could put Whiteside's mind at ease and allow him to contribute consistently while expanding his game. He isn't worth his current deal, but there is still value in having a guy who can rack up double-doubles and reject shots at a high rate.
At this point, though, it seems more likely these issues will re-emerge, leaving the Heat with a pricey problem. Whiteside will be easier to move as an expiring contract in the near future, but until then, there's no cutting out of this relationship. It could get awkward in Miami.
