Miami Heat: Lawyer embezzles nearly $2 million from Hassan Whiteside settlement

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside was caught up in Michael Avenatti scandal as the lawyer embezzles nearly $2 million from a settlement with an ex-girlfriend.

Perhaps the strangest twist of the Miami Heat offseason has come before the first round of the NBA playoffs has even come to an end. In what seems almost like a Mad Libs story come to life with a mix of NBA, politics and legal scandal, Hassan Whiteside was involved in a legal dispute with an ex-girlfriend, Alexis Gardner, that was resolved with a $2.75 million settlement.

That’s not the strange part. The ex-girlfriend was represented by now-famed lawyer Michael Avenatti, who embezzled nearly $2 million from the settlement in order to buy a share of a private jet (which has since been seized by the IRS).

It’s really incredible stuff, and it’s hard to even make up a story involving Stormy Daniels’ lawyer stealing money from Hassan Whiteside’s ex-girlfriend, but alas, here we have it.

Of course, the money was stolen from a payment already made, so there’s no reason to think Whiteside will be further responsible for any additional financial burden. That means it probably won’t weigh into his pending decision this summer regarding his $27 million player option, but it’s safe to say that being involved in the unfolding disaster that is Michael Avenatti can’t be especially enjoyable.

There’s no inkling at this point  as to what the dispute was that ultimately required what was a $3 million settlement, so we will probably left forever wondering. And we will remain more than a little curious about what could have transpired.

Be that as it may, considering Avenatti’s current financial situation, Alexis Gardner will likely not end up being made whole any time soon in the aftermath of this whole fiasco.