The Mavericks reportedly plan to offer Hassan Whiteside a max contract as soon as free agency officially begins.
He hopes to pick his next team soon after.
You can see where this is headed.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
Sources: As 12:01 AM nears, free agent Hassan Whiteside's focus is centered on Miami and Dallas. Decision could come quickly on July 1.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2016
Clearly, free agency has already begun. Teams flaunt the NBA’s tampering rules all the time. I have no problem with that other than when the league selectively enforces the rules and sometimes punishes teams.
Anyway, if the Mavericks secure a commitment from Whiteside, they could use it to pitch Mike Conley. Adding both would be a major coup for Dallas.
It’s getting harder to see Miami interrupting the first step of the plan. The Heat don’t meet with Kevin Durant -- their reported top offseason priority - - until Sunday. They also have to figure out how to pay Dwyane Wade. And they’d need cap space to re-sign Whiteside and can’t offer him a fifth year (though they can offer higher raises).
If Miami asks Whiteside to hang tight while it handles other business, will he listen? Or will he just lock in with the Mavericks?