Hassan Whiteside isn’t going anywhere.
Whiteside announced Friday on The Players’ Tribune that he’ll re-sign with the Miami Heat in free agency. A person familiar with the terms of the agreement told ESPN the 27-year-old center will sign a four-year contract worth around $98 million (the maximum amount Miami could offer).
“I’ve played on eight teams since college — from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichuan, China,” Whiteside wrote in the post. “I am not ready for there to be a ninth.”
The Heat prioritized re-signing Whiteside this offseason, but there was some competition for the 7-footer’s services. A report Thursday indicated that the Dallas Mavericks had become the front-runners to land Whiteside as the Heat lost ground. Apparently, that wasn’t the case after all.
Whiteside is coming off a breakout season in which he led the NBA in blocks. He averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game over 73 regular-season contests while finishing third in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
