The Miami Heat have been playing really good basketball lately, as they have won nine of their last 12 games entering the stretch run of the season. It is at the point with this Heat team that if they do eventually get Chris Bosh back, many people could see them beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in a playoff series.
One of the biggest keys to Miami's recent success has been the play of center Hassan Whiteside. The seven-footer has been coming off the bench for more than a month now, but he has still been producing big numbers. This offseason, the Heat will have a decision to make on Whiteside, as he is set to become a free agent and is due a massive pay raise.
All along, the expectation has been that the Heat would let Whiteside walk this offseason because they won't have the cap space to offer him a max contract. Lately, though, it has seemed more likely that they would be willing to shell out the money for a player who seems to still be growing. Team president Pat Riley has been effusive in his praise for his center recently, but in that praise, he realizes that he may be hurting himself this summer.
"We've had some players that we've opened our eyes up on, but I think what Hassan did last year and what he's doing now, his level of play it's just all about more experience, more reps, understanding how important he is for us," Riley said. "But in my 50 years in the NBA, I have never seen that kind of phenomenon. I know this is hurting me right now as far as his free agency goes because I'm complimenting him, but he's grown a lot."
That statement comes from a man that sounds like he is willing to make Whiteside his number one priority this offseason. Still, though, keeping Whiteside will certainly not be easy, as the Heat still have to pay Dwyane Wade, who is playing this season on a one year $20 million deal. Riley is a master of figuring out cap space and how to fit guys in, but before recently, it didn't seem like a possibility that they would keep the 26-year-old center.
You can bet that there will be several teams out there that will throw max money at Whiteside this offseason. His growth since getting his first NBA shot has truly been remarkable, and because of that, the Heat understandably want to keep him, but they will have a lot of competition for his services. At this point, it has become fairly clear that if the Heat don't offer Whiteside a max contract, he will move on, but Riley sounds like he will try and figure out a way to make that happen.
