Boston Celtics Rumors: C’s To Make Push For Hassan Whiteside
The latest Boston Celtics rumors have them pushing to make a deal with Hassan Whiteside when free agency opens on Friday.
According to a report furnished by Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders on Tuesday, the Boston Celtics are expected to be one of a handful of teams to make an offer to emerging star center Hassan Whiteside.
There is undoubtedly a limited supply of players in the mold and athleticism of Whiteside in the NBA today, and his versatility in the paint, both offensively and defensively, is a large reason that he will be generating so much interest on the open market from teams like the Celtics when free agency begins on July 1.
In addition to Boston, other teams rumored to be interested in the 27-year-old big man include the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and Dallas Mavericks.
The incumbent Miami Heat are also very interested in retaining their starting center of the last two seasons, but are reportedly wavering in regards to whether or not they want to offer Whiteside the max.
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After Kevin Durant and Al Horford, Whiteside is likely the third-most sought after free agent this off-season. Along with Horford and former Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard, Whiteside highlights this summer’s free agent big man class.
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Whiteside seemingly came out of nowhere in the 2014-15 season, appearing in 48 games (starting in 32), while averaging 11.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per contest.
This season, Whiteside did little to quell the notion that he was one of the best up-and-coming centers in the NBA, as he appeared in 73 games, scoring 14.2 points, grabbing 11.8 rebounds, and swatting away 3.7 shots per contest.
For the Celtics, Whiteside provides an intriguing option in free agency. The team is afforded the luxury of offering two max contract players this summer to upgrade the roster.
While the Celtics added six new players in last week’s NBA Draft, the obvious need of a true shot-blocking big man remains a priority this summer.
Howard has been another player frequently discussed as an option in Boston in recent weeks, but the opportunity to bring a young, emerging, and now proven center in Whiteside seems to be a much more palatable option, especially if both players command around the same amount of money.
If the Celtics are able to lock up Whiteside within the first few days of free agency, the team may become a bit more of a serious contender for the jewel of this summer’s class, Durant.
The Celtics added Jaylen Brown with their top pick in last week’s draft and adding Whiteside will only add to the attractiveness of their emerging core that already includes All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas.
In addition to the pieces already on the roster, the Celtics also hold the option to swap their first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft with the Brooklyn Nets, a pick which will in all likelihood be in the top five.
All of a sudden, contention for a championship may not be quite as far away as all Celtics fans may think, even though the fan base has grown restless over the patient, methodical rebuild that general manager Danny Ainge has engineered to date.
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Can Whiteside completely flip the switch on the Celtics’ prospects for years to come? Only time will tell, but he may be just the first domino to fall should the Celtics land his services in the coming weeks.