Miami Heat: Trading Hassan Whiteside isn’t as easy as it seems

The Miami Heat, for now, are stuck with Hassan Whiteside.

A lot of recent talk has circled around the idea of the Miami Heat trading center Hassan Whiteside. We know he doesn’t fit the pace and space style Erik Spoelstra would prefer to play, nor is he the “mature” kind of player the organization typically hangs its hat on.

However, he is a dominant shot blocker, a plus rim protector and a way for Miami’s inconsistent offense to generate relatively easy points thanks to his pick-and-roll chemistry with Dwyane Wade.

It’s also been well documented that Whiteside is making less than a million dollars this season and any team that trades for him would not have Bird Rights, eliminating any fiscal advantage they could have when he becomes a free agent this summer.

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Even if Miami were to find a trade partner willing to take on that risk for a price, they would have to lump the likes of Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts and/or Chris Andersen into the deal in order to get appropriate value back in return.

That is, of course, unless the Heat trade Whiteside for picks. An unprotected first round pick, or a pair of firsts with minor protections, seems appropriate for Whiteside. However, the Heat have not shown a preference for trading talent for draft picks in the past, and I don’t see them starting now.

Let’s start here, though. Should the Heat trade Whiteside?

The Heat, under Spoelstra, want to do a few things and they want to do them well. Spo wants to run, play with pace and space, stretch the floor with shooters and switch on defense.

Whiteside does neither of these things.

As good as Whiteside is as a shot blocker and rebounder, those traits are not top priorities for the Heat.

Miami, therefore, would be better served with someone who does fit those attributes Spo is looking for. Al Horford’s name has been brought up. Even Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez. However, we don’t know if the Heat can get these guys.

That brings me to my next point.

Often in the NBA, teams don’t have a choice of who they build around. I mean, in the most basic way, they do. Miami could opt not to re-sign Whiteside. However, that would leave them with a giant hole on the roster they would have to fill.

Let’s look at the Sacramento Kings. They have been reluctant to trade DeMarcus Cousins for several years because they know, on any given night, Boogie can be a top 10 player in the league. Cousins comes with his own combustible baggage, but the Kings know that they have a potential star on the roster. Would they rather have Anthony Davis? Sure, but not everyone can have Anthony Davis.

You work with what you got and, for now, the Heat have Whiteside. Would they rather have Horford? Or LaMarcus Aldridge? Absolutely. But they don’t have those guys, and there aren’t many similar players out there.

For now, Whiteside represents Miami’s best chance to reach the NBA Finals this season, and that’s why the Heat will ride with him the rest of the season. Any decision about his future will come in the summer, not at February’s trade deadline.

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