NBA Free Agents 2020: Latest Rumors, Predictions for Hassan Whiteside, More
Hassan Whiteside was one of the most productive bigs in basketball last season. He also remains unsigned.
While veteran bigs like Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are among those to ink deals in recent days, the 31-year-old Whiteside is still waiting on the best offer.
Whiteside stuffed the stat sheet last year. He averaged 15.5 points and 13.5 rebounds for the Portland Trail Blazers during the regular season and also led the NBA with 2.9 blocks per game.
The advanced numbers also painted Whiteside in a favorable light. He ranked 10th in player efficiency rating (PER, 25.0) and 12th in win shares (8.5) while also ranking 23rd in value over replacement player (VORP, 2.6), per Basketball Reference. The latter number placed Whiteside ahead of heralded stars such as Joel Embiid and Paul George, among others.
Despite his stellar season, Whiteside never drew interest from the Trail Blazers in free agency. He saw a sharp decrease in playing time during the playoffs with the return of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins, and Portland elected to fill its roster with wing players this offseason.
Other teams possibly needing a center either opted for a cheaper big man or are hampered by salary-cap constraints. Thus, Whiteside continues to wait.
John Hollinger of The Athletic reported the Sacramento Kings are said to have interest in signing Whiteside, and they still have their full mid-level exception available. He also chided the Washington Wizards for signing Robin Lopez for an apparent $7.3 million rather than pursuing a deal for Whiteside.
Sacramento might actually be a good fit for Whiteside. The Kings have not been able to rely on Marvin Bagley III to stay healthy thus far in his career, and they need frontcourt depth. Although a floor-spacing big might have been better, Whiteside's ability to dive to the rim could make him a weapon in pick-and-roll with De'Aaron Fox. He would also be an upgrade in terms of rim protection.
Hollinger also noted the Oklahoma City Thunder could sign Whiteside and then flip him for more picks. But the Kings are looking to take legitimate steps towards being more competitive, and Whiteside is one of the few players available who seemingly merits a full mid-level exception.
Prediction: Whiteside signs with the Kings
Batum is not technically a free agent, at least not yet.
The veteran forward accepted his player option for the 2020-21 season and remains with the Charlotte Hornets. But the Hornets have to create cap space for Gordon Hayward, and the expectation is Charlotte will stretch and waive Batum.
The Frenchman developed into an athletic three-and-D wing as a member of the Trail Blazers early in his career. He also became a quality playmaker in his last two seasons with Portland. However, he hardly seemed worthy of the five-year, $120 million contract he signed with the Hornets prior to the 2015-16 season.
That contract has backfired on the Hornets and backed them into a corner in recent years. Charlotte did not re-sign Kemba Walker last year due to cap restrictions. The Hornets will now eat the money over the next few years so as to create room for Hayward, another guy who was awarded a bit of a head-scratching contract.
As for Batum, it does not appear he will be a free agent for too long.
The 31-year-old's agent, Jeremy Medjana, told Basket Session six teams have reached out to his client, whom he says is healthy and raring to go.
"Six teams have contacted us and showed interest in Nico: Nets, Warriors, Jazz, Clippers, Bucks and Raptors," Medjana said, via HoopsHype. "Nico is in the best shape of his life. He’s been working hard with coaches for two months. He lost 10 kilos [roughly 22 pounds]."
Although Batum's Hornets contract has made him the butt of a cruel joke in NBA circles, he is still a capable two-way wing who shot nearly 39 percent from three-point range during the 2018-19 season.
Batum understands his role and can also facilitate, which makes him a solid fit for any roster. The Utah Jazz re-signed Jordan Clarkson and brought back Derrick Favors, but they could use another wing presence.
Prediction: Batum signs with the Jazz
All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.
