He’s been reported to be unhappy with the Heat after they’ve aggressively pursued other free agents without addressing his contract needs.
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The Heat had told Whiteside before Friday it was very interested in keeping him, but had a lot of moving parts to navigate through – including resigning Dwyane Wade and chasing the top free agent out there in Kevin Durant, who Miami will also meet with Sunday in NY.
But signing Wade is a tricky topic for Miami. And if this is all about money, then going to one of those other teams would be the move. But the 12-time All-Star clearly has set his sights higher than the one-year, $20 million deal he signed last summer.
This is the second straight year Wade has threatened to leave, and last year he ended back up with the Heat after a brief, peaceful showdown.
Vice president Pat Riley said Whiteside was the team’s top priority even as talks with 34-year-old shooting guard Dwyane Wade fell apart late last week. Offering a $10 million annual salary will surely anger Dwyane Wade.
Wade, an unrestricted free agent, is apparently mulling the idea of leaving the Miami Heat. Whiteside will be signing a contract worth roughly 100 times more than what he made this past season, when he averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and a league-best 3.7 blocked shots per game.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical is reporting the Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets are also involved in the pursuit and the most aggressive of the lot.
Wade grew up in Chicago and played college basketball at Marquette in Milwaukee.
Hassan Whiteside might end up with the Lakers or stay in Miami, we’ve seen a number of great players turn down the teams that seemed like the favorites to land them.
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Whiteside was reportedly offered a five-year, $130 million max deal from the Mavericks. He’s not the superstar he once was, but he’s still a very good player who has been the face of the Heat for well over a decade.
