Despite his tremendous numbers — and breakout game coming in Chicago last season — Miami Heat big man Hassan Whiteside doesn’t seem like a realistic option for the Bulls this summer in free agency.
When you look at the rise of Hassan Whiteside during his time with the Miami Heat, there’s one game you can point at and say, “Yep, that’s the game he arrived.”
Last January, Whiteside scored 14 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 12 shots in a 96-84 Heat victory over … the Chicago Bulls. Like Whiteside told reporters after the game, three months prior to his outstanding triple-double performance against the Bulls, he was at a local YMCA facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Skip ahead to the current time frame and Whiteside has become one of the most talked about topics in the NBA today. In 73 games this season, Whiteside averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and led the NBA with 3.7 blocks per game.
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He’ll be an unrestricted free agent at postseason’s end and will likely receive a huge pay day this summer once the free agency period starts in July.
The line of suitors will be long for Whiteside’s services and although they might come in contact with Whiteside’s camp, it’s unlikely that the Bulls will be near the front of that line of teams itching to side him to a brand new contract.
Here’s the issue with Whiteside and the Bulls (well, two):
- The Chicago Bulls front office duo of vice president John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman are notoriously cheap when it comes to contract negotiations. Fans have wanted stars like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony over the years. Instead, they got Carlos Boozer, Pau Gasol, Mike Dunleavy and Marco Belinelli. By pouring money into Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler (which were good moves at the time) over the years, the Bulls have handcuffed themselves with a lack of money. (The plan was also likely in line for Wade, James and Chris Bosh to join forces before free agency in 2010, but I digress.)
- If Paxson and Forman plan to (and can) work out a less-expensive deal to keep Joakim Noah in Chicago (and with Pau Gasol likely out the door this summer), the Bulls will already have Noah (probably back as a starting center), Cristiano Felicio and Bobby Portis up front.
It’s a given that Whiteside will be looking for a huge paycheck and an important role within a franchise if he leaves Miami this summer after the playoffs. Why would he come to Chicago, when teams like the Los Angeles Lakers (who are going to have more cap room that anyone) can offer more money and the glitz and glamour of being a franchise centerpiece?
There’s no denying Whiteside’s talent. However, it is viable to question his motor and overall will to win sometimes with his attitude. All you would have to do is put on a few Heat games from the past couple seasons and you’ll notice that he has a bit of an attitude and can take plays off at times.
You can take the bad with the good when it involves a player like Whiteside, but the Bulls have their own issues to sort out before potentially bringing on more.
From the Bulls perspective, they’re already a mess.
Just look at this past season.
Their best player became a little too confident for his own good at times. The team’s former best player has had three knee surgeries and is owed over $20 million next season — potentially his last in Chicago. And on top of those two key entities, their new head coach is miles away from having the correct personnel to run his modern offensive system.
A player like Hassan Whiteside would definitely bring a defensive presence not seen since Noah’s shoulder came out of place and required a season-ending surgery. Whiteside had the league’s lowest defensive rating (94.5) this season and blocked 269 shots in 2015-16. No player since Marcus Camby (285) in the 2007-08 season has blocked that many shots in a year.
Next: Could the Bulls re-sign Joakim Noah and pick up more in the process?
But, as helpful as Whiteside’s defensive impact could be for the mediocre Bulls, the price tag might be a little too high for the Bulls and they will likely be just a window shopper in the Hassan Whiteside sweepstakes.