6. Hassan Whiteside
After being drafted in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft, Hassan Whiteside suddenly made the jump as a seriously impactful defender in2015. His rise to stardom with the Miami Heat was sudden – and his fall from grace was just as swift.
Whiteside was a player who was dominating opponents with his size during his first few seasons with Miami. However, opposing teams quickly learned how to plan against him and his productivity has dropped significantly since then.
But, Whiteside is still a worthy contributor. He is one of the few seven-footers capable of staying on the floor against modern playstyles. While he is a liability on offense due to his lack of shooting, Whiteside is able to remain impactful by rebounding and defending at a high level.
Whiteside averaged 15.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game last season. He is entering free agency off a $24 million dollar contract, far above what the Warriors will be able to offer him. Nonetheless, the market might not be too hot for a player like Whiteside – leaving the door open to a one-year deal with the Warriors before testing his value again next season.