It’s not yet known whether Hassan Whiteside will ever suit up for the Miami Heat again. But he did collect that bag on Friday by picking up the $27.1 million option on his contract for next season.
Despite what promises to be a robust market for free agents, there was absolutely no reason to believe Whiteside would turn down this type of guaranteed cash.
The question is now rather obvious. Previous reports suggested that Whiteside was going to exercise said option with the intent of demanding a trade.
For their part, the Heat have been attempting to shed salary since an disappointing 2018-19 season came to a conclusion. That includes Whiteside, Goran Dragic, James Johnson and Dion Waiters.
Whether there’s an actual market for Whiteside’s services remains to be seen. Though, the Houston Rockets could be an interesting option with fellow high-priced veteran Chris Paul also on the market.
Whiteside, 30, averaged a five-year low 12.3 points to go with 11.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks during the 2018-19 campaign.