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Miami Heat: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 22, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Heat defeated the Pelicans 113-99. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Heat defeated the Pelicans 113-99. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Miami Heat
Apr 1, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) reacts during the game against the Sacramento Kings in the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Miami won 112-106. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

Happy Hassan

The first move of Miami’s summer (and the first domino that resulted in Dwyane Wade’s stunning departure) was agreeing on a max contract with Hassan Whiteside. Whiteside agreed to leave some wiggle room for Kevin Durant negotiations, but when KD chose the Golden State Warriors, Whiteside was rewarded with a four-year, $98 million deal.

On the one hand, Whiteside wound up being the Heat’s marquee free agency acquisition this summer, ensuring they didn’t go empty-handed after missing out on the Durant sweepstakes.

There’s no question about Whiteside’s current skill level and potential upside. Last season he led the league in blocks, averaging 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. Between Whiteside, Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow, the Heat still plan on being competitive next year.

However, $98 million is an awful lot to pay a guy who felt entitled before he was earning max money. His pride and bad attitude have reared their ugly heads at times, and now Whiteside is “the guy” in South Beach — with no stars like Wade or veterans like Deng to keep him in check.

That’s a risky proposition, even for a player who is teeming with talent. Though Whiteside bursting onto the scene was fairly recent, he’s already 27 years old, and he plus Dragic (plus Winslow in his second year) does not necessarily equal playoffs, even if Dragic-Whiteside pick-and-rolls will be fun to watch.

Under the new salary cap, $24.5 million a season is about the equivalent of an $18.2 million deal under last year’s $70 million salary cap — not terrible value, but not great for a slightly immature player who has yet to prove he can be a leader and franchise player.

The 2016-17 season will give him his chance to do so, but Whiteside isn’t on Winslow and Josh Richardson‘s timelines, nor was he on Wade’s. That makes paying him max money a risky endeavor to bridge the gap between now and Miami’s next contender, even before including his personality and maturity issues.

Grade: B

Next: Gone In A Flash

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