Hassan Whiteside Agrees To 4-Year Deal With Miami Heat

The Miami Heat have agreed to a four-year, $98 million contract with Hassan Whiteside. But, it took the center a while to get to that point.

In a letter to his fans on The Player’s Tribune titled, Where I’m Headed, Hassan Whiteside said, “I’ve played on eight teams since college — from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichaun, China. I’m not ready for there to be a ninth.”

The news was reported first by Tim Reynolds for AP Sports that the center had agreed to re-sign with the Miami Heat.

Before this morning, it was suggested that Whiteside would go to the Dallas Mavericks. But after the news broke out, Eddie Sefko of Dallas News.com reported that Mark Cuban said of potential acquistions Whiteside and Nicolas Batum, who recently re-signed with the Hornets, “Both guys went for money, can’t fault them for that.”

Additionally, Ethan J. Skolnick for the Miami Herald reported that Whiteside’s max deal might be adjusted due to the slight possibility of the Heat acquiring Kevin Durant.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Whiteside is on the winning side of this situation. And rightfully so due to the rollercoaster ride of a journey that he’s been on leading up to this massive deal.

More from Miami Heat

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Report: Miami Heat hoping to keep key player out of Lillard trade talks
• Grade the Trade: The Heat pass on Lillard to land an MVP in this proposal
• NBA Rumors: Heat have big plans to upgrade frontcourt if they land Lillard

Those eight teams that he mentioned in his Player’s Tribune letter reflect a tumultuous journey for the big man. That difficult journey all started in 2010 when Whiteside was selected by the Sacramento Kings as the 33rd overall pick in the draft.

It was only shortly after that he was assigned to the Reno Bighorns, a D-League team. Whiteside was eventually called back to the Kings until he was waived from the team in 2012 after suffering a season-ending injury (left knee).

Subsequently, Whiteside bounced around the D-League, joined a Chinese NBL team, and made it to the NBA again by signing with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2014. Combine that with being waived by the Grizzlies, and one can imagine the defeat that Whiteside must have felt.  The tension of those seasons was exacerbated with Whiteside barely making $1 million.

https://twitter.com/ByTimReynolds/status/748856954584465408

But, something special happened in 2015.  After signing with the Heat, Whiteside recorded his first double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks in a Miami Heat win over the Brooklyn Nets. In a 109-89 win over the Houston Rockets, Whiteside scored a career-high of 25 points. Last season alone, he averaged 14.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while leading the league in blocks (3.7 per game).

Also, Whiteside became the fastest player in the Heat franchise to record 1,000 rebounds, surpassing Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal. In this year’s playoffs, he averaged 12.0 points and 10.9 rebounds. That is a huge improvement of him averaging around one point and two rebounds in his sophomore season.

Thus, there is no doubt that Whiteside is a premier center in the league, and there is no doubt that the dominant center deserved what he received. His hard work is what carried him to unparalleled success. The 27-year-old center will prove himself to be key force in the league and will attribute to the success of the Miami Heat.

More hoops habit: Kevin Durant's Free Agency Destination Power Rankings

From struggling to stay on a team to obtaining a max contract and being a league leader, Whiteside has been in the driver’s seat of his success.