Miami

Miami Heat Trade Hassan Whiteside to Portland for 2 Players

What to Know

  • Dumping his contract is expected to help Miami finalize a sign and trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to be able to get Jimmy Butler.

In the first full day of the free agency period in the NBA, the Miami Heat made a splash in trading center Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers.

First reported by ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Miami will get forward Moe Harkless and center Meyers Leonard in return with the trade agreed upon according to sources.

Whiteside joined the Heat in 2014 after several years in the developmental league and playing overseas, signing a four-year deal in the summer of 2016 for $98 million while finishing the season as the first player in team history to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in the same season.

He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season after missing significant playing time the last two seasons due to injury, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.

Dumping his contract, as well as both Leonard and Harkless being in the final year of their deals, is expected to help Miami finalize a sign and trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to be able to get star forward Jimmy Butler.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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