VIDEO: Hassan Whiteside is Clearly Thrilled About Being Traded to Blazers
By Will Fowler
The offseason isn't just for big name free agents to lock down max contracts -- in some cases, it's for players to get traded out of a bad situation and receive a fresh new start. Former Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside is the latest in a string of players receiving a blank slate after he was dealt to Portland on Monday.
Whiteside seems HYPED about getting traded to Portland ?
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2019
(via @youngwhiteside) pic.twitter.com/Mk6EZ2V1Wm
You think he's happy?
Whiteside, who has long been the butt of frustration in Miami due to work ethic and consistency, went from one of the most promising young centers in the game to one of the most confusing ones. I think he's just as excited as the city of Miami that he'll be playing his basketball elsewhere, chanting, "We got shooters!", in reference to Portland's prolific outside shooting.
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
Whiteside will fill in the gap left by Enes Kanter, who was shipped to Portland in the middle of last season but left for Boston in free agency, as well as Jusuf Nurkic who is working his way back from a brutal leg injury.
Whiteside averaged 11.4 rebounds across his seven-year career, and he'll look to be a crucial piece on the glass for Portland when the season kicks up again.