The Miami Heat made a $98 million investment last summer to make Hassan Whiteside the center of the future.
But that doesn’t mean Pat Riley is going to abandon looking for more help at the position – even if the role of big men in today’s NBA is becoming more and more devalued.
With backup center Willie Reid a potential financial casualty in free agency next month, the Heat could use the 14th pick in Thursday’s draft to snare another backup for Whiteside, whose contract runs through the 2019-20 season.
Two young, raw and potentially strong candidates who could fill the backup role are Texas freshman Jarrett Allen (6-10, 234) and Creighton redshirt freshman Justin Patton (6-11, 229).