The major flurry of offseason moves, whether via trade or free agency, have come to an end, but there are still some players on the market and deals trickling in as teams around the league fill out their rosters.
On Wednesday, one of the biggest unsigned names remaining found a home, as Hassan Whiteside reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, as they add another big man to their roster.
Free agent center Hassan Whiteside has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 25, 2020
Depending on the money involved, it’s likely a low-risk move for the Kings, although Sacramento fans will have their concerns about adding Whiteside to a froncourt with younger players they’d like to see get more minutes to develop — namely Marvin Bagley Jr. who is looking to find a rhythm in Year 3 after a sophomore season marred by injury. Whiteside joins Bagley, Richaun Holmes, Nemanja Bjelica, and Jabari Parker in the frontcourt on a roster that has some promising talent but also seems to be firmly in the tier below the large group of playoff contenders in the West.
While Whiteside does bring legitimate rim protection and rebounding, his desire to chase blocks can be used against him by opposing offenses as he’ll rotate out of position and offensively he is best served as a lob threat and clean-up man. This isn’t a needle-moving signing by the Kings, but it’s also not some kind of disaster as some may try to paint it. Whiteside is a useful player, particularly in the regular season, and the Kings can use those players so long as he doesn’t cut into time someone like Bagley is spending on the court.