Hassan Whiteside has made his feelings known, he wants to have a new team by July 1, the day free agency begins. In basketball, that’s a little surprising. It usually takes players a few days to decide which team they want to go to. But according to Whiteside, he wants a quick resolution. When it comes to which team he will choose, Whiteside said, “I really don’t think it’s about loyalty. It’s about the best situation for myself.” He also added, “I find it flattering. In my past I was trying to call those teams. Now it’s the other way around.”
Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks last year. There are currently two well-known teams who are interested in Whiteside. One of them is the obvious return to the Heat, and the other is the Lakers. Whiteside has played an important role for the Heat these past few years. Especially when Chris Bosh has gone down with blood clots, they need their big men to step up and Whiteside has. Right now, he might be their only big man that the Heat can count on with the uncertain future of Bosh. That’s why it would be important for the Heat to bring him back.
When it comes to the Lakers, they have a good young team. The one thing they really are missing is a big man. They have good young players such as D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and the recently drafted Brandon Ingram. They also have Jordan Clarkson who is a restricted free agent but the Lakers are expected to keep him. As mentioned, the one thing they are missing is a legit big man. Right now their center is Roy Hibbert. Whiteside can step in there and have an immediate impact with the Lakers. Right now we know the Heat and the Lakers are interested, but other teams could jump in too. And with Whiteside saying he wants to decide on July 1, we should know a decision soon.
