Written by Curtis Lo, Senior Writer (@CLoading51)
In this series, we’ll be looking at some of the most ‘out-of-place’ players in the NBA and propose a new team which would be a realistic trade destination. In our series debut, we will be focusing our attention on Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Why should Westbrook leave?
Despite the best efforts of Thunder GM Sam Presti to surround Westbrook with a genuine championship contender, since the departure of Kevin Durant in 2016 the Thunder have not been able to make it out of the first round. In 2017-18, the addition of Paul George from the Indiana Pacers brought some hope to the franchise but the Thunder fell to the Utah Jazz, led by rookie Donovan Mitchell, in disappointing fashion. This past season was even worse, with the Thunder only managing to win a single game against the Trailblazers. It's clear the past two seasons with Westbrook and George have been underwhelming, as the Thunder have been eliminated by teams with far less talent on multiple occasions. So when Presti was given a chance at a full reboot through the ‘god-father’ offer presented for Paul George, despite the city’s emotional investment in the team and its star forward, he took it.
Following the trade of George to the Clippers, the Thunder are set up nicely for the future. The addition of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a promising combo guard with a high ceiling, three unprotected Clippers first round picks, one protected and one unprotected Miami first round pick, and two future Clippers pick swaps (according to ESPN) have drastically altered the Thunder’s timeline for contention. A 30 year old Russell Westbrook, who would be looking to contend now, no longer fits in with this timeline. While this mountain of trade assets could also be used to retool and find a new partner for Westbrook, there aren’t many players out there that would be an improvement on George and available via trade.
Westbrook and Miami - yet another star in South Beach
As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, the Miami Heat are a serious possibility for Russell Westbrook. Miami has developed a reputation as an organisation that pursues star power, predominantly through free agency. Its focus doesn’t lie with the development of young, promising cores, but rather with established talent, such as their recent acquisition, Jimmy Butler. However, as currently constructed, the Heat's roster is not ready to contend. The upper echelon of the Eastern Conference is highly competitive; the Bucks, Sixers, Pacers, Raptors, Celtics and Nets all have better or similar levels of talent when compared to the Heat. However, if Westbrook were to head to South Beach, it would undoubtedly shake things up. A trade would significantly reduce the Heat’s depth, but it would also form a dynamic two-way duo. And given Jimmy Butler is in the prime of his career, the Heat have committed to building a contender now. Many teams like the Heat wait in the wings and acquire assets so that when the next disgruntled star is available, they can pounce. All indicators say that Westbrook is that next available star.
What is the proposed trade?
Miami receives: Russell Westbrook
Oklahoma City receives: Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo
How would it look?
While the organisational fit makes plenty of sense, would it work on the court? Both Westbrook and Butler operate best with the ball in their hands. One of the biggest critiques of Westbrook’s time in Oklahoma City alongside Kevin Durant was his inability to adopt and be efficient in an off-the-ball role. Who’s to say these same issues wouldn’t crop up again with Butler? Butler has also had a shaky locker room history in his past few stops and by all accounts isn’t one of the easiest guys for both players and coaches to get along with.
He’s also consistently said his motivation is winning, so there must have been a reason for him to leave a bona fide championship caliber team in Philadelphia. There’s a high chance that reason was to be “the guy” in Miami, which is a role Westbrook has maintained for the past three years in Oklahoma City. Two stars with alpha dog personalities isn’t a recipe for success, unless those two stars are simply able to ‘out-talent’ the competition (see: Shaq and Kobe) or, have a deep team and an experienced coach. With our proposed trade, Miami with Westbrook and Butler would struggle to do either of those things against the best in the East, as they’d lose three key starters/rotation players. Especially if Adebayo is dealt away, the Heat would struggle to defend dominant big men like Giannis and Embiid - it would be a tall order for the likes of Meyers Leonard and Kelly Olynyk.
That being said, a new, refreshing location could lead to a revitalised Westbrook, since there appears to be mutual interest between the former MVP and the Heat, as well as a desire from the Thunder to accelerate its rebuild. The Heat with Westbrook could surprise us all, but the ceiling on that squad would likely still be the second round of the playoffs.
Westbrook and Minnesota - the better fit
While not anywhere near as glamorous a pick as Miami, Westbrook would be much better suited to join up with the Timberwolves. In Minnesota, he would be able to handle the ball in the same high usage fashion he has become accustomed to; whether or not this is good for his team overall is a matter of opinion. The Timberwolves have also been desperate for a new point guard, given their aggressive attempts to clear cap space over the past few weeks to allow them to pursue D’Angelo Russell.
Westbrook has never played with a center as offensively talented as Karl-Anthony Towns and likewise, Towns has never had a point guard of Westbrook’s caliber - their pick and rolls would be a sight to behold. A mixture of Westbrook’s dynamic slashing and Town’s inside out game (he shot 40% from three point territory last season) would be a better stylistic fit than Westbrook and Butler. The rest of their lineup would need to be full of three-and-D wings to accomodate for Westbrook’s inefficient shooting - Robert Covington is a great place to start. Andrew Wiggins...not so much. A swap of Jeff Teague’s expiring contract, salary fillers and a few future first round picks could be enough to persuade the Thunder. Minnesota has searched for that extra piece to give them an edge in an increasingly cutthroat Western Conference, where they have only made the playoffs once since the 03/04 season. Jimmy Butler wasn’t the man for the job. Could Westbrook be the answer?
While no one knows where Westbrook will be by the end of the 2019/20 NBA season, I’d be incredibly surprised if he’s in Oklahoma City.
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