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Portland Trail Blazers won’t re-sign Hassan Whiteside, not on an NBA team

Stevie Cozens|
PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 23: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks during their game at Moda Center on January 23, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - JANUARY 23: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks during their game at Moda Center on January 23, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers won’t be bringing Hassan Whiteside back for 2021, and he still remains unsigned by another NBA team for the new season.

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey has stated in his first press conference for 2021 that the team’s roster will stay at 14 players for now, as they don’t want to enter the luxury tax for the third year in a row.

This, and the fact that the Blazers have three centers on the roster now,  in Jusuf Nurkic, Enes Kanter, and Harry Giles, means that Hassan Whiteside won’t be brought back for the 2021 season. He also hasn’t been signed by another NBA team so he can play next year.

Though Whiteside led the league in blocks in the 2019/20 season, his inconsistency on both ends meant that he is without a home in a market without a lot of cap space.

Whiteside was one of the more frustrating players on the roster last year. One game, he would play like one of the best centers in the league, and the next, he wouldn’t bother running out to contest shooters on the perimeter. His inability to switch at all in a defensive scheme, and his lack of passing ability, may mean he needs to accept a veteran’s minimum just to show he has value and a role in the NBA still.

Whiteside has the physical gifts to play in the league still though. He is a great shot blocker and excellent finisher at the rim, but he needs to play more consistently on both ends if he wants to stay in the league.