The Miami Heat are a dangerous team come playoff time because they are loaded with really good players. If they are fortunate enough to get Chris Bosh back at some point this season there will likely be some people who pick them to win the Eastern Conference.
Obviously the Heat have their full focus on this season and maximizing how far they go, but it is never too early to think about the future. This offseason will be a big one for the Heat because Hassan Whiteside, Joe Johnson and Dwyane Wade will all become free agents. Wade and Johnson have made it clear they want to stay, and the Heat will probably make that happen. Whiteside, on the other hand, is a much bigger mystery.
Earlier in the season the reports stated that the Heat were very iffy on whether they wanted to make a huge monetary commitment, to Whiteside in free agency. Whiteside is making less than $1 million this season, but his play has made his price go way up, and there are many that believe he will get a max contract. The Heat seem to have changed their thought process regarding Whiteside this offseason, as they now want to sign him this offseason and may even make him a priority.
As it stands now the Heat should have about $40 million in cap space this summer. If Whiteside gets the $20 million per year he is projected to get that would leave about $20 million to spend on Wade and Johnson. The Heat could certainly make all of this work, but signing Whiteside may sacrifice their ability to go after a big-time free agent like Kevin Durant.
Heat president Pat Riley is among the many people who have come around on Whiteside this season as he said he has never seen anything like him. The 26-year-old center is definitely having a career season and is clearly a huge piece to what the Heat have done this year. Through 63 games Whiteside is averaging 13.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game, so clearly the pay raise he has coming is well deserved.
As for what Whiteside wants to do this summer, he said his main goal is winning and that he likes the Heat organization. Based on those two things it is obvious that he would like to stay in Miami, but at the same time the money still has to be right. It is unlikely that Whiteside will take $14 million a year from the Heat when he has offers for $20 million a year elsewhere, but if the Heat make a fair and competitive offer it seems like Whiteside is very willing to stay.
