Hassan Whiteside and DeMarcus Cousins (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
Rumors are spreading that the Miami Heat are planning to join the sweepstakes to land Sacramento Kings' enigmatic big man DeMarcus Cousins, and a report has claimed that swap with the Hassan Whiteside could be an option for the three-time NBA champs.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel has proposed that the Heat could trade Whiteside for Cousins in an attempt to plot easier moves in next year's free agency.
Winderman noted that a consideration of a Whiteside trade "might make sense" for Miami, considering the team's offseason plans "from Dwyane Wade to Tyler Johnson to even utilizing various exceptions, including their trade exceptions."
While the trade scenario makes sense in terms of securing future pieces for the Heat franchise and locking up a quality player in advance, it seems unlikely that Miami would give up their budding star given Whiteside has been playing.
In the Heat's 11 games, Whiteside averaged a solid 15.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He is also establishing himself as a defensive presence and rim protector for the Heat with 4.5 blocks per contest.
Cousins, on the other hand, has averaged 27.5 points in eight games with the Kings, along with 11.1 rebounds.
In terms of statistics, Cousins is certainly an upgrade over Whiteside, but the latter's effectiveness under Erik Spoelstra's system makes him the better fit for the Heat.
Moreover, the Basketball Insiders have reported that Kings coach George Karl is the candidate to likely be evicted from the team than Cousins, which means Sacramento may have to wait for a little while before exploring trade offers for their star big man.
The Kings seem to be in complete turmoil with Karl's tainted relationship with Cousins. A trade could come anytime soon if the drama within the Kings' organization continue, but expect the Heat to not join any trading frenzy involving Whiteside.
