Hassan Whiteside continues to dazzle on the defensive end and from all indications, the Heat will do everything they can to keep him.
And that includes dismissing some of the high-salaried players, though the options seem to be limited.
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The NBA salary cap at present is $70 million but per Hoopshype.com, the Miami is already over that by about $21 million more or less at present.
Take note that of the $91 million in salaries that the Heat have right now, Whiteside is only paid $981,348. But by season’s end, the Heat will have close to $32 million to spend with Chris Bosh and Goran Dragic, the holdovers with a combined $39 million more or less.
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Those figures don’t even include the likes of Dwyane Wade or Luol Deng, so it will be an interesting offseason for the Heat and Whiteside.
Without question, Whiteside deserves a big pay raise and the Heat are likely to exhaust all means to keep him per the LA Times. There will be casualties in the process unless some players agree to a pay cut. That includes Wade and Deng.
If not, expect other teams to seriously pursue Whiteside and offer him a max deal. The Kings and the Lakers are likely to make a pitch, but from the looks of it, Heat president Pat Riley will try to beat the gun on them.
Whiteside has been known for his shot-blocking expertise, something tied up with his triple double performances. Normally it would be the scoring, rebounding and assists, but Whiteside does it with blocks instead.
That alone is something to behold and a rarity in the NBA.
Whiteside will have a busy offseason as well, but if the Heat are wise, they may want to start negotiations early unless they are certain that the 26-year-old seven-footer is not going anywhere.
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