NBA Rumors: There’s a growing chance that Hassan Whiteside could elect to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Miami Heat and enter free agency this summer
The Miami Heat have had a season to remember, with everything that its meant to its fans and Dwyane Wade. However, when it comes to actual basketball, it was one to forget. The Wade high is now officially over, and they are headed into an off-season where big changes are needed.
But with the expectation that they won’t have significant cap space until next summer, the team has little-to-no flexibility heading into the off-season. What makes things even worse is that this is the summer where you want the cap space, not next season.
With that said, a couple of opt outs from Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside could really change that a bit. And according to a recent report, Whiteside might actually entertain the idea of opting out of the final year of his contract, which would pay him $27 million. In his words, he wants to play.
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And if it’s not just about money for Hassan, that would make some sense.
"[via South Florida Sun-Sentinel]“You definitely want to have the money,” he said. “But you also want to play.”…“It’s going to be an interesting summer,” he said."
If Hassan and Dragic elect to opt out, coupled with trading one of the eight-figure contracts, the Heat might have enough to open up a max cap slot, which would make things a whole lot more interesting for this team heading into free agency.
However, it would be highly unlikely for all those moves to come together. Make no mistake, though, no matter what Hassan Whiteside or Goran Dragic elect to do in the coming weeks and months, the Heat will be open for business this summer.
The Heat underperformed this season, and aren’t used to missing the playoffs. This is not good enough for the fans or the front office. Expect the Heat to have one busy summer.