Miami Heat: Top 3 Hassan Whiteside trade destinations
By Simon Smith
3. Dallas Mavericks
For the second consecutive season, the Dallas Mavericks are destined for the lottery, a significant sea change for a franchise that had made the postseason in 15 out of 16 seasons prior to last year. After their much-publicized and unsuccessful pursuit of free agent center DeAndre Jordan, the Mavs thought they had struck gold when they orchestrated a midseason trade last year to acquire center Nerlens Noel.
The No. 6 overall pick in 2013, Noel was viewed as a similar mold to the pivot of their 2011 championship team, Tyson Chandler. But thus far, Noel has far from lived up their expectations, and is clearly not a favorite of head coach Rick Carlisle. This season, Noel has played just 18 games before being sidelined with a thumb injury.
Whiteside presents the Mavericks with the legitimate inside presence they’ve been lacking since Chandler’s departure. Considering their recent track record of acquiring big-name free agents, acquiring a player of Whiteside’s stature via trade would certainly fast-track their rebuilding efforts.
As for the Heat, this deal would make sense on a number of levels. First of all, they would be acquiring a legitimate two-way small forward in Harrison Barnes. With the recent emergence of swingman Josh Richardson, the taller Barnes would enable Richardson to operate from the shooting guard spot to provide the Heat with genuine length and versatility at both ends of the floor.
Furthermore, the Heat would be bringing in Noel with the chance to ascertain his future value on the roster considering he comes out of contract at the end of the season. A legitimate rim protector with tremendous athleticism, the famed Heat culture could easily bring the best out of Noel, who is still just 23 years of age.
Overall, this deal addresses issues for each team, both in the present and the future.