One of the bright spots this season is Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside. In what is seen as a new lease on life after failing on his first try, Whiteside has been christened as a shot blocking demon who has even gotten stars like Carmelo Anthony thinking.
But is he really with the right team?
If one looks at the headway he has achieved with the Heat, the answer would be yes. But is he simply about defense?
Whiteside has shown what he can do on the offensive end. But the real problem is that he has to take a backseat and settle for scraps when it comes to doing his thing. Just imagine a team made up of Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and more; and Whiteside's contributions will likely end up as useless.
With Whiteside hitting the unrestricted free agent market in the summer, the question is on whether or not the Heat will keep him.
The answer to that may all boil down to Whiteside. Will he hold out and accept a salary less than the maximum pay?
Whiteside is now being paid at the minimum wage, but everyone knows that he has now proven he is worth more than that. He is believed to be on the radar of some teams and is in fact being mentioned in trade rumors involving teams like the Houston Rockets.
For a budding seven-footer who is expected to register a record in blocks this season, there is no question that Whiteside is proving to be worth a potential $90 million max deal. The bad news is that the Heat are unlikely able to give him that.
So by season's end, it could depend on whether Miami Heat President Pat Riley can bait him to agree to a non-max contract or not. It will also depend on him if he will follow the path of other players who have opted to get max deals.
Unlike Tristan Thompson, Whiteside has certainly proven his worth. If he does end up leaving the Heat due to underpay, it won't be surprising.
