Why the Miami Heat should not look to move Hassan Whiteside
Ahead of the February 8 trade deadline, rumors are swirling around Miami Heat’s plans for Hassan Whiteside.
The NBA trade deadline is a fickle beast. And despite a 30-11 finish to last season and a 24-17 start to this year, the Miami Heat are just as entwined with trade rumors as anyone else.
These rumors however, aren’t limited to one of Miami’s bench pieces or injured reserved; they are centered on Hassan Whiteside. As reported by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, Miami has focused its potential player swaps around the big man.
"“They know they face major questions about their ceiling. Expect Miami to be active in trying to address them as next month’s trade deadline approaches. A lot of those questions surround Whiteside, who hasn’t looked right since returning from a bone bruise in his knee,” wrote Lowe on January 10."
Admittedly, there is truth to the qualms over Whiteside’s play this season. Riddled with injuries (such that he missed 18 of Miami’s 41 games), Whiteside has appeared sluggish, and his averages in points, rebounds and blocks are down.
With his minutes also limited to just 25 per game, the wandering eye might latch onto the possible outcomes in moving Whiteside. The allure of obtaining a bigger name like DeMarcus Cousins in free agency, might entice Miami to look away from its seven-footer. But here are a few reasons the Heat might want to hold the phone.
Lovable Band Of Misfits
The unifying characteristic of the Miami Heat is its rag-tag roster. The longest tenured player in South Beach is Udonis Haslem, a 15-year veteran who went undrafted in 2002. The Heat are home to former journeymen like Wayne Ellington and James Johnson, as well as ex-G-League standouts like Rodney McGruder. At the most basic level, keeping Whiteside fits with Miami’s current image.
A project of sorts leading into the 2014-15 season, the Heat gave Whiteside a second lease on his career, leading to one of the best blocking seasons in NBA history (when he averaged 3.68 per game). Whiteside’s career resuscitation quickly became the mantra of Miami, which went on to give Johnson, Dion Waiters and others a chance to gel with a deep and flexible roster.
Even Whiteside himself acknowledges the diversity of the Heat’s cast, a collective driven by unity and not super stardom.
"“Our team is built in numbers. We don’t have a guy that’s going to come out and take 25 shots, 30 shots a game or one guy that got really big numbers. We’re more of a team that likes to share the ball and get the best shot.”"
Though Whiteside has not repeated his defensive performance from seasons past, his length and post presence is key to Miami’s success in the post-Heatles era. Fewer teams are employing an offensively minded seven-foot center in 2018. With the rise of small ball, big men are becoming a thing of the past, as more teams adhere to the pace and space brand of ball championed by the Golden State Warriors.
Keeping Whiteside in lieu of this marked shift in lineup style might seem like a bad move, but his presence is enough to keep Miami capable of beasting any team in the association.
Consider the Heat’s November 17 game against the Washington Wizards. In 31 minutes, Whiteside logged 22 points and 16 rebounds, proving a difficult cover for Marcin Gortat and Markieff Morris.
For every matchup against teams with size, keeping Whiteside also allows Miami to exploit the post against smaller teams (while still using smaller lineups when Whiteside sits). The roster versatility Whiteside adds to Miami pairs well with threats from the sharpshooting Ellington, or the electrifying Josh Richardson, who can lead Miami to wins when Whiteside’s play is faltering.
Bad Returns
Moving Whiteside isn’t a one-sided affair. Miami would be looking to improve after shipping him out, but the current trade landscape is bleak. During an injury-plagued season, few teams would be looking to absorb Whiteside.
With teams like the Warriors and Houston Rockets encouraging a shift towards smaller, more agile lineups, the Heat would be hard-pressed to find a deal that would help them maintain their playoff pace.
Set to make upwards of $25 million over the next two seasons, few teams will be interested in taking the risk of employing Whiteside, who, with his post-heavy play style, is likely to prefer starting to coming off the bench.
In a player-for-player swap, Whiteside’s contract is on par with other big men like Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard and Anthony Davis, or guards like CJ McCollum and Bradley Beal (none of which are looking to be moved). While picking up a perimeter scorer like Beal might be Miami’s ideal scenario with Waiters sidelined indefinitely, Miami is more likely to find a mediocre trade package of role players and late draft picks, in exchange for its situational center.
Next: Miami Heat Makes and Misses: Whiteside struggles, others surge
While Miami might end up moving away from Whiteside before his contract expires, the Heat are too cohesive right now to risk blowing the roster up.