Free agent Hassan Whiteside announced on Friday that he is staying with the Miami Heat.
The announcement was made on Snapchat and The Players’ Tribune website. Whiteside will sign a four-year contract that’s worth the maximum that the Heat could offer which is about $98 million, according to the Associated Press. He met with the Heat and the Dallas Mavericks in New York before deciding to stay with Miami.
"I've played on eight teams since college -- from Reno to Sioux Falls to Sichuan, China," Whiteside wrote on The Players’ Tribune. "I am not ready for there to be a ninth. I have decided to re-sign with Miami. I just wanted to take this time to tell all the fans how much you mean to this team, and to me. Can't wait to get back to work and try to bring another championship to Miami."
Whiteside plays center and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2010. However he bounced around the D-League and overseas for two years. In 2014, he signed with the Heat. He averaged 14.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 blocks, which are all career-highs and led the league in blocks with 269 last season, according to Fox Sports. In the playoffs he averaged 12 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.
The Heat will now attempt to try to sign coveted free agent Kevin Durant and try to re-sign Dwyane Wade.