The Oklahoma City Thunder may soon trade point guard Russell Westbrook, does a trade make sense for the Miami Heat?
With Kevin Durant leaving the only team he’s know for the first nine years of his NBA career, the Oklahoma City Thunder are now left reeling about what to do about their future, and the future of their other star Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook is under contract for one more season and then he will become a free agent, left with the same decision Durant just made. With Durant gone, the chances of Westbrook re-signing in OKC take a major hit. Westbrook is also not interested in extending his contract right now, due to the cap again rising next off-season and his chances of collecting an even bigger payday than he would now.
With this uncertainty around Westbrook, the Thunder have been painted into a corner: a corner that they have been in in the past, with James Harden, Reggie Jackson, and at the NBA draft with Serge Ibaka, before they run the risk of losing them for nothing in free agency.
According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, there is belief among rival front office executives that Westbrook could be traded sooner rather than later, with the Celtics emerging as the favorites to land the 27-year old point guard.
"What I’m hearing here in Las Vegas from some GMs is that, not only do they think that Westbrook will get traded, that it will be sooner than later — probably before the season starts — and that the most likely destination right now would be the Boston Celtics."
Other than the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers have also been thrown around as a potential destination. As with almost any major player, the Miami Heat are always in the mix.
Westbrook averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game during the 2015-2016 season, and posted a career-high of 14 win shares for the Thunder last season.
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While the Celtics do have a lot more assets in terms of draft picks than the Heat to use in a potential trade, the Heat do have a young prospect in Justise Winslow that the Thunder would probably love to build around.
However, Winslow should be off-limits for the Heat in any trade negotiations this off-season, especially for a player that is likely not going to guarantee that he would stay in Miami come free agency.
It’s also questionable if adding Westbrook to the Heat as they are currently constructed would make the Heat contenders for the upcoming season. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics are formidable foes in the Eastern Conference the Heat would still need to get past.
That doesn’t mean that Pat Riley shouldn’t make an attempt to acquire the services of Westbrook at all. Rather than offering up Winslow, could Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, and Briante Weber get the Thunder to nibble?
Dragic could prove to be a capable fit with Enes Kanter and Steven Adams, as the Thunder cling on to a team that could probably contend for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Josh Richardson could become the starting shooting guard they have been looking for. Weber provides a strong defender as a backup point guard.
While that is a lot for the Heat to trade for a potential rental, it’s not likely the Thunder jump on that deal. Dragic is 30 years old, not ideal for what will be a rebuilding team.
An offer with a butt-load of picks, including potentially Brooklyn’s picks, from the Celtics could prove more enticing for the Thunder.
The Lakers could offer up D’Angelo Russell and/or Brandon Ingram in a package to acquire Westbrook as well.
more: Justise Winslow is not Kawhi Leonard
Westbrook is a great player–top 10 in the league and an All Star who provides instant credibility–but he would not make the Heat an instant contender this season and is not a guarantee to stay anywhere long term. Even if Winslow is a piece that could tip the scale for the Heat, they should take a hard stance at keeping the 20-year-old out of any potential trade packages.
After all, the Heat could get a shot at signing Westbrook next summer while keeping their promising young core in place.