This was one a bit of a shocker to me and many across NBA circles.
Even before the season ended, it felt like Hassan Whiteside was playing his last few games in a Miami Heat uniform, but who are we to doubt the powers of Pat Riley?
Time and time again, Riley continues to make us look foolish.
Riley and Whiteside agreed to a four-year, $98 million deal, but there’s apparently some wiggle room if Miami is able to land Kevin Durant.
There’s no secret that Miami will meeting with the four-time scoring champion this Sunday and if Durant does indeed commit, Whiteside is willing to take a bit of a reduce in pay. We’re not sure how much of a sacrifice Whiteside would make under this scenario, but just the fact that he’s willing to say a lot about him and Riley’s negotiation skills.
After bursting onto the scene during the 2014-2015 campaign, Whiteside proved he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. The 27-year-old averaged career-highs in points (14.2), rebounds (11.8) and blocks (3.7).
Also, Whiteside shot a career-best 65% from the charity stripe.
The only concern about giving Whiteside such a lucrative deal is his maturity. Will he remain motivated or will this contract make him lazy going forward?
It remains to be seen how he’ll progress, but for now, this was a move Miami had to make to stay relevant in the eastern conference.
Next: 4. Indy gets Al Jefferson for cheap