Hassan Whiteside
“Blockside” could be no more in Miami, as the Heat and their beloved center have had a rocky relationship throughout the past few seasons, post-signing his max contract in the summer of 2016.
2018-19 stats: 13.0 PPG, 12.4 TRB, 2.2 BLKS – 55.6 FG percentage
Past 5 games (24 MPG): 16.0 PPG, 13.2 TRB, 1.2 STLS, 1.6 BLKS – 68.6 FG percentage
Whiteside has been playing out of his mind over the past week, but I’m not sure any team is willing to give up a borderline superstar for this talented center, even paired with a few draft picks (that the Heat really don’t have).
The big man may just have to be sold for lesser deals like how the Heat did with Phoenix in order to save cap, unless of course, Riley can work his magic.
Goran Dragic
“The Dragon” could be sent elsewhere, as he has been a fan-favorite in a Miami Heat jersey, becoming their first All-Star since the LeBron James-era. And while this would truly break my heart as a Dragic-lifer, I can totally see the point in Riley’s mind by moving Dragic for cap relief, as he is turning 33-years-old in March and his career is most likely hitting a downtrend.
However, Dragic arguably has his lowest trade value since 2012 at the moment, and I don’t think it’s the right time to see the Slovenian combo guard leave. If you want to move Dragic, wait until the summer time or next season, albeit, possibly just waiting out until the summer of 2020 and try and sign him to a veteran minimum to become the new Udonis Haslem.
Dragic should be coming back from his minor arthroscopic knee surgery immediately after All-Star break, so you can expect the Heat to either trade their All-Star today or wait it out and see how he fits next to Justise Winslow in the interim of the 2019 season.