Kelley L. Cox- USA Today Sports
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, free agent big man Hassan Whiteside is drawing interest from several teams which includes the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat. Although Whiteside hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since April 2012, his 7-foot, 260-pound frame warrants attention from teams desperately seeking size.
Whiteside broke the single-season record of most blocked shots with 182 during the 2009-10 season playing for Marshall University. This is how Whiteside got national spotlight attention and eventually was persuaded to join the 2010 NBA Draft. The Sacramento Kings drafted Whiteside with the third pick in the second round, but only played him 19 games during the two years he was on their roster, mostly due to injury that ended his rookie season. While playing for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Whiteside only averaged 6.6 ppg and 5.6 rpg, but only averaged 11.8 mpg as well.
Even with Whiteside’s low NBA and D-League averages, the Heat could use the youth and size underneath the rim. Whiteside would see little-to-no playing time, considering he is behind Chris Bosh, Chris Andersen, Udonis Haslem and likely Greg Oden on the roster. His minutes would be very sparing, unless injury occurred to a crucial role player or starter.
Still, having a 7-foot player on your roster is never a bad idea, especially in a conference that is stacking up on size. If Whiteside wants the taste of playing on a championship team, signing with the Heat (if given the opportunity) is a no-brainer.
Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com.
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