The Miami Heat continue their quest to be Eastern Conference contenders which is causing the team to get linked to a number of trade rumors with the market set to heat up. Miami has several contract situations they will need to deal with next offseason including giving Hassan Whiteside a high-priced extension along with keeping Dwyane Wade and potentially chasing Kevin Durant. The Heat cannot do it all which is why trade rumors are hitting the surface.
Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com stirred the pot this week linking the Heat to trade deals for both DeMarcus Cousins and Dwight Howard. Scotto reported that the Sacramento Kings are getting offers once again for the center and the Heat were one of them. Scotto also reported that Howard was unhappy with the Houston Rockets and could seek a trade where the Heat could be a landing spot. In any of these deals, Whiteside would be the No.1 trading chip. He has certainly heard the rumors, but does not expect anything to happen.
"I just saw it. It's just rumors," Whiteside said, via the Miami Herald. "I mean, it's just rumors, I guess. I don't really know how factual it is. But I'm just going to keep playing basketball. A lot of people are speculating. I just keep playing basketball every day. I'm just going to keep coming in and doing the same thing I've been doing."
Whiteside is right to dismiss these rumors as speculation. The chances the Heat make any of the deals they are being linked to are slim to none. However, they will have issues come the offseason when it is time to begin offering money to free agents. The Miami Herald has already reported that the Heat intend to chase Durant with a max contract. That will hurt the deals offered to Whiteside and Wade. The center has a chance to really capitalize as a free agent with his value increasing along with the salary caps. The Heat lack his Bird Rights meaning his contract will count towards the salary cap. In an effort to also retain Wade, Whiteside could be on the outside looking in.
In that perspective, trading Whiteside is not the worst idea. The Heat could capitalize on his value in the league and get a lot of quality in return. They already run the risk of losing him for nothing in return. However, head coach Erik Spoelstra made it clear that all of the talk is simply noise and he urges players to remember that during this time of year. With the trade deadline still two months away, this will not be the first time Whiteside hears his name mentioned in the rumor mill.
"You just have to address it at the beginning of the year, and then to remind guys that it's all noise," Spoelstra said, via the Miami Herald. "You almost don't want to address it, because it's so unsubstantiated, where the source came from, that you're just highlighting that even more. So guys understand that every team, there will so much fiction out there, you just have to focus on your team, your role and your situation."