NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat Looking To Ship Hassan Whiteside, Three Possible Teams To Get Him


There have been some rumblings about Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside getting shipped off before the trade deadline. While it may seem ridiculous at first, a lot of good sources have pointed out that a departure for Whiteside might very well be the case. A lot of fans are asking why the Heat would want to part with Hassan Whiteside, their lone superstar who is averaging some pretty mean numbers this season. And the surprising part is that the answer to why letting Whiteside go is pretty simple and makes a lot of sense.

According to Fox Sports, Hassan Whiteside’s trade fate started in the off-season, when the team failed to hang on to Dwayne Wade. With their main scoring option gone, the Heat are forced into rebuilding mode this season. Unloading Hassan Whiteside’s massive contract can have its benefits for the Heat in the long run.

One big problem for Hassan Whiteside is that the Heat are currently sitting at a 9-17 record, and everyone knows that the Heat has developed a winning culture these past few years. The truth is, the Heat may be on their way to suffering a major collapse this season and Whiteside may not be worthy of that huge contract he currently possesses. If the Miami Heat does intend to let go of Whiteside, then here are their top three options.

Boston Celtics

It seems that no trade rumor is complete without the Boston Celtics somehow involved. Hassan Whiteside is no exception as Boston may be gunning for his talents. The fact is that the Boston Celtics has the assets and desire to try and acquire Whiteside. The Celtics are underperforming this season which is a shocker considering they advanced to the playoffs last season with lesser talent. Now that they acquired another major star in Al Horford, the Celtics have no reason to go back but that is exactly what is happening.

This is attributed mainly to the Celtics lacking good rim protection and rebounding. And what better way to fill this void by acquiring one of the NBA’s premiere shot blocker and rebounder in Hassan Whiteside. According to Yibada, the trade would greatly benefit the Celtics as Horford can move down to power forward and allow Whiteside to take over the defensive duties.

Portland Trail Blazers

This one is gaining a lot of steam and has trumped the Celtics rumors. Portland may just be Hassan Whiteside’s next team and it could boost the team’s chance to make a deep playoff run. According to the source, the trade will focus on Hassan Whiteside and CJ McCollum and may just benefit teams right away. Hassan Whiteside already considered Portland as his second choice during his free agency run.

Whiteside will give the Blazers a massive upgrade in shot blocking and rim protection as well as compliment Damian Lillard with his improved pick and roll play. The Heat, on the other hand, will have a dynamic backcourt of Dragic and McCollum that will massively address their scoring woes. Hassan Whiteside for CJ McCollum may be the blockbuster trade for this season.

Golden State Warriors

The same article by Fox Sports drops a juicy trade rumor. This time it pits Klay Thompson and Hassan Whiteside. While it may seem ridiculous to trade a scoring machine like Thompson, the fact still stands that they might not need him that much because of Kevin Durant. The Warriors’ flaw is not scoring but inside presence and getting Whiteside might just make them nearly invincible. The Miami Heat, on the other hand, may just get a potential franchise player in Thompson and finally start right when it comes to a complete rebuild. Hassan Whiteside for Klay Thompson could be the shocker of the season.

[Featured Image by Lynne Sladky/AP Images]

Share this article: NBA Trade Rumors: Miami Heat Looking To Ship Hassan Whiteside, Three Possible Teams To Get Him
More from Inquisitr