The NBA trade deadline happens on Feb. 6 with several teams expected to pull off some deals. One team that has been frequently mentioned is the Portland Trail Blazers. So far, only one player has been moved, Kent Bazemore. But in the coming weeks, the future of Hassan Whiteside could take shape.
It is no secret that Whiteside rejuvenated his career over in Portland. However, critics hit out at the inconsistency of his play. There is also the case of Bosnian big man Jusuf Nurkic who broke his leg last NBA season. He did return to practice last week but a timetable on when he can officially return remains unknown, The Athletic reported.
At any rate, the Blazers are assessing Nurkic through practices, CBS Sports reported. The coaching staff wants to see how his body will respond with increasing workloads first before deciding. From here, the future of Whiteside could also hang in the balance.
Hearing Whiteside's name on the trading block hardly comes as a surprise. The 7-footer will become an unrestricted free agent next season. It is a given that he will go all out and try to perform well in an effort to gain traction heading into the offseason. This season, he has played in 43 games averaging 15.6 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 3.0 blocks per Basketball-Reference.com.
Whether Nurkic returns this season or next, the chances of keeping the 33rd overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft are quite low. Whiteside knows that for him to play efficiently, more playing time on the floor is needed. Though the Bosnian may be on managed minutes at first, it remains that it will come to a point where Whiteside's playing time will decline.
Aside from that, there is also the money factor. Coming off a big four-year $98.4 million deal, Whiteside is likely to expect something similar, if not more, than that. There is no telling if Portland would be willing to give in and invest heftily on the 2017 NBA rebounding leader.
Blazers team president Neil Olshey is reportedly considering a Hassan Whiteside trade, The Athletic reported. Right now, he is reportedly listening to offers, which technically means he has a 50-50 chance of staying with the Blazers.
Also worth factoring in is where the Blazers are right now. Despite having Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Portland is 20-27 in the NBA Western Conference. They still have a chance at making the NBA playoffs. However, their performance this season could also factor in future plans for Whiteside.
