Hassan Whiteside has been well-documented in his frustration with the Miami Heat, and he’s been involved in many potential trade scenarios as Bam Adebayo looks to fill the role as Miami’s starting center of the future. I think that Hassan MAY need to be traded, but most certainly not before next season. There are several reasons why, but they all show why Whiteside may still be a valuable asset to Miami.
Mentorship
Bam Adebayo is a fantastic prospect for the Heat. His athleticism allows him to switch onto smaller guards, and he’s an impressive playmaker. While Adebayo will certainly be well-coached, I think Whiteside can provide valuable insight, especially with rim protection. Whiteside’s presence should help foster growth in Bam Adebayo’s game, and whoever the Heat trade him for likely will not have the same effect.
Rebounding
Hassan Whiteside is the only bonafide glass cleaner that Miami has. He doubles the nearest lead rebounder (Kelly Olynyk) in per game stats, 11.4 to 5.7, and averages 5.9 more rebounds per 36 minutes than the second leading rebounder in that category (Jordan Mickey). The Heat lack a secondary rebounder and are thus reliant on Hassan’s glass-cleaning skills. To trade him for a center doesn’t make much sense, as Bam is still the center of the future. For the time being, the Heat should keep Whiteside because he fills a rebounding void.
The Hassan Whiteside-Joel Embiid Factor
If the Heat want any chance of making it out of the east, they have to stop Philadelphia. This means stopping Joel Embiid. The way to do this is to play his rival, Hassan Whiteside, the whole game. Not 12 minutes. The whole game. Match their minutes and make sure Whiteside is mentally focused. This battle, if won by Whiteside, could give Miami an edge over this young Philly squad. If anything else, it would create a compelling rivalry that would surely rile up the fanbase.
Keeping Fans Happy
This reason is slightly related to the Embiid factor, but Miami fans like Hassan. His blocks energize the crowd, and he was a feel-good story back in 2015 when he broke out. Trading Whiteside may please the involved fan who knows of his vocal struggles, but the casual Miami heat fan might not enjoy seeing Whiteside wearing another team’s jersey. This could harm the team’s bottom line, which, even if the fans don’t like to admit it, is a major concern to front offices leaguewide.
There’s a solid case as to why the Miami Heat should hold on to Hassan Whiteside, short-term if not long-term. Although he’s at odds with Erik Spoelstra, The Godfather Pat Riley seems to be set on keeping Whiteside, and this may very well be why.
Agree? Disagree? Should the Heat trade someone other than Whiteside? Give me a shout @PerSourcesSam, and we can discuss! Thanks for reading!