New York Knicks: Pros And Cons Of Pursuing Hassan Whiteside

Con: Cost

The reality of signing Hassan Whiteside is that it’s going to cost the maximum dollar amount. Regardless of where most expect him to end up, it’s a well-established belief that he can get the max on the open market.

The New York Knicks have the necessary cap space to get the deal done, but handing out a max contract is never an easy thing to do with a player who isn’t yet a superstar.

If the Knicks are certain about the way Whiteside will fit with the team, then this isn’t an issue. If there’s a sense of uncertainty, however, then it’d be difficult to justify handing Whiteside a max contract.

He led the league in blocks in 2015-16, but wasn’t even on an NBA roster in 2012-13 or 2013-14.

With less than seven years of NBA experience, Whiteside’s max contract would begin at $22 million. That truthfully isn’t a terrible blow considering the salary cap will eclipse $110 million in 2017-18.

$22 million is still a hefty sum, however, and it’d be irrational to pay Whiteside that much without absolute certainty that he’s the right fit.

Next: Pro