Rumor: Mavericks Emerging as Frontrunner for Hassan Whiteside

By Isaac Harris

Jun 30, 2016

Apr 17, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) applies pressure to Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) during the first half in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

With the opening hours of free agency a little over 4 hours away, Hassan Whiteside is leaning towards the Dallas Mavericks.

With a plethora of teams looking at adding the 27-year old center, the Dallas Mavericks made their presence known from the very beginning of their intents to lure the big fella to Dallas. Earlier in the day, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst was on The Lowe Post podcast where he gave this update regarding Whiteside.

Then, with just a few hours to go before free agency getting underway (at 7:38 PM), Yahoo sports gives an update regarding how the night might unfold.

Sources on @TheVertical. Dallas Mavericks emerging as a frontrunner for Miami free agent center Hassan Whiteside. Heat's lost ground on him.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2016

This is just gas on the fire for Mavs fans as the anticipation grows surrounding Whiteside. After losing out on DeAndre Jordan last summer, locking in Hassan Whiteside would be huge for the Dallas Mavericks organization.

This could also be the foundation piece to pitch to Mike Conley and Nicolas Batum in later meetings.

Next: Nic Batum Meeting with Dallas?

Stay tuned for more updates as the night unfolds.