NBA Rumors: Miami Heat Losing Hassan Whiteside Because Of Kevin Durant

NBA rumors are swirling around Kevin Durant and Hassan Whiteside. According to Hoops Rumors, the Miami Heat could end up losing Whiteside in free agency because of Durant.

Just about every team in the NBA is going to be pursuing Kevin Durant when free agency starts in the summer. He’s one of the best basketball players on the planet. The Oklahoma City Thunder will do everything they can to keep the 6’9?, 230 pound forward around, but they’ll be up against plenty of suitors looking to transform the fate of their franchise.

The Miami Heat will be one of those teams.

Injuries played a big part in the Miami Heat being eliminated in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, but the team would have had trouble getting past the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love have finally developed chemistry. They’re on a ridiculous role right now, going undefeated through the first two rounds. The Heat would need an infusion of talent if they wanted to truly compete with the Cavaliers.

Kevin Durant would bring quite a bit of talent with him if he decided to head to South Beach. The guy can score so effortlessly. He’s also pretty solid on defense.

It would not be hard at all to envision Kevin Durant taking over as the franchise player for the Miami Heat. Dwyane Wade has already shown that he is willing to step aside for another star to take over his mantle. The 6’4?, 210-pound guard allowed LeBron James to be the centerpiece. Wade was rewarded with a pair of NBA Championships. If Durant can add more rings to his finger, then Dwyane would be willing to do it again.

Another reason why the Miami Heat need an infusion of talent is because of the health status of Chris Bosh is uncertain right now. Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Heat are concerned that Bosh might never play another game in the NBA again. Winning a championship with just Dwyane Wade and Bosh alone is hard. Doing so without Bosh is even harder. That’s where Kevin Durant would come into play.

A person that the Miami Heat could have used during their second round NBA Playoffs series with the Toronto Raptors was Hassan Whiteside. The talented enigma of a center was injured, and the Heat felt his absence. Miami ended up using a 6’7?, 220-pound Justise Winslow at the center position.

When free agency begins, Hassan Whiteside will become one of the most coveted players around. He’s a center that can put up 20 points and ten rebounds per night. The Miami Heat would love for Whiteside to stick around, but there are concerns about handing him a maximum contract.

On the priority list for the Miami Heat, Hassan Whiteside sits underneath Kevin Durant. Many in the NBA have them in that order as well. In order to pursue Durant properly, the Heat will have to hold off on signing Whiteside. Since other teams are looking for a starting center, Hassan could be gone by the time that the Heat are done with the pursuit of the Oklahoma City Thunder star. Miami also cannot afford both Durant and Whiteside on their salary cap. They’ll rightfully choose Durant over Whiteside if it comes down to it.

For Miami Heat president Pat Riley, the sacrifice might very well be worth it. Kevin Durant is much more of a franchise player than Hassan Whiteside. Of course, the Heat could end up with neither player, which would be the worst case scenario in this gamble. Very few things are guaranteed in free agency.