After five years in a Miami Heat uniform, Hassan Whiteside will be playing for another team next season.
Whiteside was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers Monday night, ending a rocky tenure with the franchise that gave him the opportunity to shine.
In an Instagram post from the enigmatic center, Whiteside bid an emotional farewell to the Heat and his teammates.
It has been quite the roller-coaster ride with the 7-foot center, who has had several clashes with Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra over the past two seasons.
When highly motivated, Whiteside is a monster, someone who can deliver a 20-point, 20-rebound game on any given night. That’s primarily the reason why he was able to secure a four-year, $98.4 million contract from the Heat in 2016.
But then there are times like the 2017-18 playoffs. Whiteside became a liability in the first-round matchup when facing off against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. He could hardly enter the game due to his inability to contribute anything on the offensive and defensive end of the court.
Now that he’s with the Blazers, the hope is that Whiteside will resemble the player that he once was, a player who could dominate the boards and be a defensive beast underneath.
No matter how the last two seasons played out between the organization and Whiteside, Heat Nation wishes him nothing but the best.