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It seems almost a foregone conclusion that the Portland Trail Blazers will pursue Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat in upcoming free agency. The gifted young center is arguably the best rim protector in the league, and he will be unrestricted come July. The possibility of him playing in Portland next season has, on various occasions, drawn eager speculation, so much so that when CJ McCollum reached out to Whiteside on Twitter in reaction to something as irrelevant as a video about red velvet cake, fans from both coasts were convinced it was courtship.
@youngwhiteside sick post https://t.co/8LiVGH7TxT
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) May 20, 2016
Sorry boys, @youngwhiteside all tied down here in M-I-A, keep dreamin'. Respect 4 yr city @Dame_Lillard @CJMcCollum https://t.co/GLIlTj9nFY
— HeatChalk (@nowhitechalk) May 20, 2016
Perhaps for the sake of self amusement, McCollum engaged Twitter user @nowhitechalk, pointing out that Whiteside can make his own decisions.
Last I checked he was an unrestricted free agent https://t.co/VuciSTHVhD
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) May 20, 2016
To which @nowhitechalk responded:
Ha! Once you taste @MiamiHEAT culture you're not leavin'. Nice try tho. Maybe you should give us a look? #HeatNation https://t.co/1Kkk76Q1y8
— HeatChalk (@nowhitechalk) May 20, 2016
Teasing the game out a little longer, McCollum stated his allegiance and left it at that.
#Ripcity 4 life my friend https://t.co/iaZgEJAc2o
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) May 20, 2016
Of course, all of this means very little on a slow news day in May, but it is fun to think that if Whiteside were to make his way out west this summer he would be welcomed by teammates that appreciate his humor. It is uncommon for players to freely comment on free agents like this, so it is an interesting exchange at the very least.
*H/T to the one and only Dan Graves, who spotted this interaction