AP source: Miami trading Hassan Whiteside to Portland
MIAMI (AP) — Hassan Whiteside is heading to the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Miami Heat continue reshaping their roster.
A person with knowledge of the situation said Monday that the Heat have agreed to trade Whiteside to the Trail Blazers for Meyers Leonard and Moe Harkless. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is still pending NBA approval.
Whiteside is entering the final season of a four-year, $98 million contract. He lost his starting spot to Bam Adebayo in the second half of last season, but figures to offer frontline depth to a Trail Blazers team that lost center Jusuf Nurkic to a broken leg late last season.
ESPN first reported the details of the agreement.
Miami made the deal a day after agreeing to the framework of a move that will also bring Jimmy Butler to the Heat via trade with Philadelphia. The particulars of that trade were still being worked on Monday.
Whiteside averaged 12.3 points and a team-best 11.3 rebounds last season, appearing in 72 games and starting 53 of those. He also averaged only 23 minutes per game, and at times expressed his displeasure about not having a larger role.
But with Portland, he figures to have a chance at starting right away.
For his career, Whiteside has averaged 13.4 points and 11.4 rebounds over parts of seven seasons with Miami and Sacramento. He led the NBA in blocks per game in the 2015-16 season, then led the league in rebounds per game the following season.
Harkless averaged 7.7 points last season for the Blazers.
Leonard had a 30-point game in Portland’s final game last season, the one where the Trail Blazers were swept out of the Western Conference finals by the Golden State Warriors. He averaged 5.9 points last season, and has spent each of his first seven NBA seasons in Portland.
All three of the players involved in the Miami-Portland trade have expiring contracts this season.
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