5 free agent destinations for Hassan Whiteside

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Feb 5, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) fights Charlotte Hornets guard Jeremy Lamb (3) for a rebound during the first half of the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets could very well be the dark horse in the race for Hassan Whiteside in 2016 free agency. Not only will they have cap space and potentially the need for a center with Al Jefferson’s deal coming up at the end of this season, but the Hornets have clearly been in the market to upgrade to a bigger freak athlete type of player at the position, as evidenced by their pursuit or discussions regarding Dwight Howard at the 2016 NBA Trade Deadline.

After a disappointing 2014-15 season, the Hornets have rebounded wonderfully this season to stay in playoff contention all year long—even with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist being sidelined due to shoulder injuries for almost the entire season. Subsequently, they have to feel like they are a move or two away from really making noise in the Eastern Conference and they could feel like adding a player of Whiteside’s talents could be one of the moves that could ultimately make that happen.

Moreover, you can’t discredit the fact that Whiteside is from just outside of Charlotte (Gastonia, NC). Though the “Player A returns home” narrative gets a bit played out from time to time in regards to free agency speculation, I think it holds some clout in this instance given that the situation also makes sense for Whiteside with the Hornets.

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