Josh Smith is also on a cheap deal, but since he was already dealt once this season, he can’t be packaged with a teammate in a trade package, per National Basketball Association rules. At 27-28 at the All Star break, the Rockets need some sort of jolt just to get back into the Western Conference’s top eight teams, and it appears that, if that jolt does occur, it could involve the one piece that Morey coveted and pursued longer than any other – center Dwight Howard.
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All that’s to say: it seems unlikely the Heat re-sign Whiteside in the offseason, which leaves Miami with a few options.
Whiteside has since figured things out on the court, but the Heat have seemingly gone out of their way to keep him from becoming too impressed with his own accomplishments. The Miami Heat have been one of the more active teams in conversation as the fifth-placed team in the East is looking for more help to bolster their chances of making a deep playoff run. The Atlanta Hawks are one game ahead of Miami in the standings, and they are considered to be a player for Howard, as well. He has posted 12.2 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game and holds a Heat-leading 23.8 PER in this edition of the league. With a projected $65 million in cap space this free agency, the Lakers should be competitive in trying to sign Whiteside as they have established a nice young core in these past two drafts.
The Rockets must know they’re not a title threat, but they must also understand they’re not anywhere close to the point where tanking makes sense. That means both teams would have to include the same number of players to make the deal work.
First, there is the issue of getting an equally as talented player or package of players, but 7-footers with Hassan’s abilities don’t grow on trees. Atlanta reportedly is not ready to move on this deal unless the Heat mix in Justise Winslow, which makes sense. The Cleveland Cavaliers have expressed interest, and a trade could take place. It’s not likely that the Heat could find another talent such as Whiteside on someone else’s roster making less than a mil. Lastly, just as Miami doesn’t have Whiteside’s Bird rights neither would the team that would acquire him via trade. If he assures certain teams he’ll re-sign, it’s far more likely they’d surrender enough to appease Houston. Miami, however, doesn’t want to trade the rookie. Both Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade have worked closely with Whiteside on his maturity and professionalism and to be fair the center had made great strides before his recent outburst against the Spurs.
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It could be that Harden is being overly optimistic, but there was a time in Rockets past when a midseason trade brought the team to championship level.
