Knicks can’t deal for Westbrook, but others should
Russell Westbrook and the Thunder are searching for trades after Paul George orchestrated his way out of Oklahoma City. It goes without saying: The Knicks shouldn’t bite — actually, they can’t.
NBA teams are prohibited from trading newly signed players for three months, or until Jan. 15, whichever is later. The Thunder need to find a trade for Westbrook as soon as possible.
But even if the Knicks were eligible, a trade under these circumstances would be the worst possible decision. Westbrook is a polarizing player, but the facts are undeniable: He’s 30 years old and has four years worth $171 million left on his contract. The Knicks are in a youth movement after striking out on big names in free agency. New York is in its own process. It has to trust it.
There are other teams, though, that can benefit from going all in on a deal with the 201617 MVP and tripledouble machine. Those teams are stuck in limbo, and should want to sacrifice future assets for a chance to bring in a player who wants to win now.
Detroit: The Pistons haven’t had quality pointguard play since Reggie Jackson’s first season in town. He has been injured, and so was Brandon Jennings. Detroit has been in limbo ever since then, and the trade for Blake Griffin only highlighted the team’s need for a point guard even more.
The issue here for Detroit is Westbrook’s salary, which pays him $38 million in Year 1. The Pistons would have difficulty matching that number in a trade without including Andre Drummond. A deal between these two teams could be Drummond, Jackson, Langston Galloway, Tony Snell and three years worth of picks for Westbrook and Steven Adams. But is it worth sacrificing the future for an aging team that could top out with a secondround exit?
Keeping Griffin happy is priority No. 1 in Detroit. Getting him some help in the back court would help.
Miami: The Heat pulled off a signandtrade for Jimmy Butler. He needs a costar, and Westbrook fits his timeline. There aren’t any other stars available on the trade market, and none projects to be available in free agency next summer. Butler’s window is right this second. Miami needs to maximize it.
A potential deal could include Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and Kelly Olynyk, but there’s a hiccup: Miami doesn’t have any firstround picks to trade until 2025. That will be one year after the contracts on Butler and Westbrook expire. Will the Heat sacrifice rebuilding in the years after the ButlerWestbrook era for a chance to put them together?
A way around this for the Heat could be reeling in other teams that would part with assets for Dragic, Winslow or Olynyk. They subsequently could move those assets to Oklahoma City in a deal for Westbrook. Butler and Westbrook might be a match made in Pat Riley’s heaven. For a chance to compete in a wideopen East, it’s a move the Heat should jump on.
San Antonio: It would be fun for the Spurs to pull off a deal for Westbrook. He, DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge would make the most midrangy team of the 3point era. The Spurs have found some success integrating bucketgetters like DeRozan, Aldridge and Rudy Gay in a longrangeheavy league. But if they don’t want to move either DeRozan or Aldridge, thereby defeating the purpose of trading for Westbrook, they would have to send out a massive number of players to match his salary. Plus, the team’s two best young players, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, both play point guard. Washington: Does a straightup John Wall for Russell Westbrook trade make sense? For the Thunder, Wall could be a delayed asset. He is expected to be out all of the 201920 season with a heel injury, but Oklahoma City could recoup assets once he returns the following year. If he comes back with a vengeance, the Thunder could trade him to a contender and get the assets they don’t receive from Washington.
For the Wizards, Westbrook is someone they can put alongside Bradley Beal. If they don’t plan to trade him, the Wizards need to make the playoffs and be a competitive basketball team once again. Westbrook might be on the decline, but he is a competitor. Most important, he wants to win, and now he has a second chip on his shoulder. Houston: Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said his intention isn’t to break up the James HardenChris Paul tandem, but instead to find another player and make this an allworld trio. Houston’s initial target was Jimmy Butler, but that ship sailed when he chose to go to Miami. The Rockets’ next target might be Westbrook. Paul recently liked an image on Instagram that featured all three of them in Team USA camp.
The Rockets reportedly were willing to move any players not named Paul or Harden in a deal that brought in Butler. Will they keep the same energy for Westbrook? And does it make sense to do so?
After all, Westbrook, Paul and Harden all play the same position, and none has proven to be an elite defender at this phase in his career. The Rockets would have to trade Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker to create space for Westbrook’s salary. They also would have to trade those players to other teams, then siphon off the assets to Oklahoma City to pry away Westbrook.
Is it worth it? There’s only one way to find out. The Rockets are known for making gutsy moves. This would be as wild as it gets.
Westbrook’s contract might be offputting, and his play style isn’t for everyone, but if the right team lands him in a trade, it drastically could change its fortunes. If the wrong team acquires him, though, it could be a devastating blow to its longterm flexibility. Trading for Westbrook at this point in his career is the ultimate assessment of risk versus reward. It certainly isn’t for everybody. In fact, most teams should stay away.