Miami Heat: How Hassan Whiteside Affects Their Future

Whether he stays or signs elsewhere, Hassan Whiteside‘s free agency decision will have a big impact on the future of the Miami Heat.

More than 18 months ago, Hassan Whiteside was fighting to make his way to the NBA.  Now, he’s shaping up to be one of the most coveted players in free agency this offseason.

Hassan Whiteside’s path to the NBA has been well covered at this point, but it’s still fascinating to think of how he has turned himself from an NBA reject into arguably the crown jewel of the big men that are soon to be available in this year’s free agent class.

That doesn’t mean Whiteside doesn’t carry a lot of red flags though, as his drive and focus are still big question marks surrounding him, considering his past failings after initially making it to the NBA.

Despite those concerns, Whiteside’s ability to make an impact on both ends of the floor as well as his age (Whiteside just turned 27 years old) clearly separates him some of the more limited or problematic free agent centers.

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Of course, the team that gave Whiteside the opportunity to land a spot in the NBA, the Miami Heat, is now one of the many suitors that are expected to come Whiteside’s way once free agency begins.

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For a team that has faced plenty of adversity in the post-“Big 3” era, Whiteside’s rise couldn’t have come at a better time for the Heat.

Whiteside has given the Heat a much needed injection of youth and athleticism as some of their key players are entering or in the latter half of their career.

With that said, the Heat have gone to great lengths (including benching him in the latter half of this season) to keep Whiteside motivated and focused on what’s best for the team over individual accolades.

Now, though, Whiteside holds all the cards this offseason and while he’s interested in staying in Miami, nothing is guaranteed.

According to Michael Wallace of ESPN.com, Whiteside spoke about his upcoming free agency and how his ties to the Heat factor into his priorities in regards to his decision:

"“I really don’t think it’s about loyalty — I think it’s just about [finding] the best situation for myself,” Whiteside said Sunday. “I didn’t say (Miami) wasn’t the best situation, but we’re going to see what happens. It’s not like I’m really counting the Heat out or counting on another team. It’s just open.”"

It’s certainly in Whiteside’s best interest to keep his options are open as well as maintain his high value across the league this offseason, but it’s an interesting and slightly unsettling answer for the Heat.

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Whiteside may be trying to drive a hard bargain from the Heat’s perspective, but he’s doing everything to make sure that he’s rightly prioritized by teams around the league, including the Heat.

While Heat president Pat Riley has publicly commented on how Whiteside is at the top of their list of priorities this offseason, Whiteside’s free agency is one of a few big decisions the Heat will have to make this summer.

Add in the uncertainty surrounding Chris Bosh‘s playing future as well as reports of the Heat being linked to other big pending free agents (i.e., Kevin Durant) and it’s justifiable why Whiteside would be a little guarded on possibly staying with the Heat.

Of course, with a decision like this, you have to wonder if the Heat’s handling of Whiteside may have done more harm than good in regards to Whiteside’s commitment to Miami, even though their actions were within reason.

Whether the Heat truly prioritizes re-signing Whiteside remains to be seen, but it’s arguable that Whiteside means more to the Heat than many other reported suitors due to the long-term timeline of the team as well as with the questions over the status of Bosh’s playing career.

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We’ll soon know if they recognize that or not as it looks like the Heat will have to do more than put their money where their mouth is with Whiteside once free agency begins.