The Sacramento Kings have signed center Hassan Whiteside to a one-year contract.
According to sources from Sacramento, he will be making the veteran’s minimum, which means that his salary for the season will be at $2.32 million.
Whiteside was traded to the Portland Trailblazers by the Miami Heat last season, where he showed that he could still be an effective big man in the league. He averaged 16.3 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game last season.
Whiteside reportedly had disagreements about his playing time and role in Miami, which is what led to the Portland trade. The center looked rejuvenated, playing more minutes than usual, and clearly improving the entire unit when he was on the court.
The 31-year-old player will now be returning to Sacramento, which is the franchise that drafted him with their second-round pick in 2010. Whitehead originally spent three seasons with the Kings at the start of his career.
Whiteside is more of an old-school seven-footer, making his market in free agency fairly small. However, the Sacramento Kings should be able to use the strong, if limited, skill set Whitehead possesses, especially coming off the bench and proving solid defense around the rim.
