Heat Trading Hassan Whiteside to Portland Trail Blazers
By Sean Facey
At least the Heat can get one deal done.
With the Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade still on hold, the Miami Heat have dealt Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Miami is finalizing a trade to send center Hassan Whiteside to Portland for Mo Harkless and Meyers Leonard, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
In exchange for Whiteside, the Heat are set to receive small forward Mo Harkless and center Meyers Leonard.
Whiteside, a former league leader in blocks and rebounds, now joins a Trail Blazers team that just locked up its star in Damian Lillard for the foreseeable future, giving them a strong defender.
He finished last season with the Heat averaging 12.3 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while playing in 72 contests. He also posted a stellar 99 defensive rating, the fourth time in five years that he's stayed below the 100 mark.
Portland/Miami deal:
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2019
Heat receive:
- Moe Harkless
- Meyers Leonard
Blazers receive:
- Hassan Whiteside
(via @wojespn) pic.twitter.com/IHYwkYJQSy
As for the Heat, they're set to receive two adequate bench players to round out the roster. Leonard in particular gives them a strong bench shooting option at center.
The Trail Blazers now have one of the best defensive big men in the NBA to hopefully help guide them back to the Western Conference Finals and beyond.