Southeast Notes: Whiteside, Jones, Hornets, Gordon

If the Heat decide to deal Hassan Whiteside, they may find his trade value is lower than expected, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami hasn’t expressed a desire to move Whiteside, but Jackson believes it could happen if rookie Bam Adebayo and free agent addition Kelly Olynyk continue to provide quality minutes at the center spot.

Jackson talked to a pair of unidentified scouts about the possible return in a Whiteside deal, with one comparing it to what the Kings received when they traded DeMarcus Cousins to the Pelicans. Sacramento got a young guard in Buddy Hield, an impending free agent in Tyreke Evans, along with Langston Galloway and a first- and second-round pick. The scout notes that Cousins is more talented than Whiteside, but has a more volatile reputation.

Finances would figure into any deal involving Whiteside, who makes nearly $23.8MM this year and more than $24.4MM next year with a player option worth about $27MM for 2019/20. His playing time has been cut to 25.7 minutes per game this season and his scoring and rebounding averages have fallen as a result.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

• The Heat will face a decision soon on Derrick Jones, who has about 14 NBA days left on his two-way contract, Jackson adds in the same story. The Heat signed Jones at the end of December, and his allowable NBA service time was pro-rated. He has appeared in three games since then, averaging 5.0 points in nearly 17 minutes per night. Miami could open a roster spot by cutting A.J. Hammons, who has remained in the G League since being acquired from Dallas in an offseason trade.
• Poor shooting and a lack of roster depth have brought down a Hornets team that looked promising two seasons ago, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. GM Rich Cho has a spotty draft record and made a costly error in 2016 when he traded the No. 22 pick to Sacramento for Marco Belinelli, who didn’t contribute much before being shipped to the Hawks a year later. With the Hornets capped out at least through the end of next season, Ziller sees little hope for a quick turnaround in Charlotte.
• Aaron Gordon is having his best statistical season by far, but it’s not resulting in more wins for the Magic, relays John Denton of NBA.com. Gordon hasn’t come close to a playoff spot in his four years in Orlando, but he remains confident that things will turn around. “[The losing] hurts and it’s not something that I like obviously, but I do my best to continue to focus on the present moment,’’ Gordon said. “Win, to me, stands for What’s Important Now. What’s important now is continuing to get better so that when the opportunity presents itself I’m ready and we’re ready as a team.”