5 Potential Russell Westbrook Trade Proposals

It’s wild to think about trading either of the Rockets’ two former MVPs in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, but the reality could mean that’s the best move for the franchise that’s experienced plenty of turmoil. We already broke down potential Harden moves, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the thought of the Rockets blowing things up is fresh in everyone's minds at the moment. We now know that Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston, according to Shams.

The real question is should they do it? With Daryl Morey out as GM, nothing would really come as a surprise and with Covid-19 expected to impact the financial future of the salary cap and the league, we might see some weird stuff over the next few weeks. Could the Bucks use a Westbrook trade to try and keep Giannis happy? What about the Knicks trying to make a splash? We all know the NBA offseason can get unpredictable, so nothing should be ruled out.

Harden and Westbrook only have one year together that resulted in a second-round exit from the playoffs, but even that short burst together could be all there is in this chapter for Houston. If the Rockets do decide to enter the rebuilding phase and trade Russell Westbrook, here are five options they could potentially consider.

Russ Teams With Giannis

Houston’s outlook: The Rockets are able to get off a chunk of Westbrook’s money and grab a first-round pick in the process of doing it, which is a win for the front office. Brook Lopez is going to cost a bit more than Houston would probably like, but he does have value if the Rockets wanted to flip him. Eric Bledsoe’s contract isn’t a very good one right now, but Houston should go into next season with an outlook similar to that of Oklahoma City with Chris Paul last season. If he has a great year and that contract becomes one year shorter, he suddenly has a positive value.

Milwaukee’s outlook: Is Westbrook a perfect fit in Milwaukee? Absolutely not. He’s not a great shooter from the outside and not a great defender, either. But what Westbrook does represent is Milwaukee going all in on winning this year with Giannis Antetokounmpo. This offseason Antetokounmpo has the opportunity to sign a supermax extension with the Bucks, and if he doesn’t he will become a free agent next summer. The Bucks need to exhaust everything in their power to win a championship in 2021, and if they don’t it could mean bad news for their hopes of retaining the two-time MVP.

Russ in New York

Houston’s outlook: They’re able to get off of half the huge Westbrook contract and getting a protected first-round pick (Dallas’ pick) from New York is an added bonus here. Julius Randle might have some value in a trade, too.

New York’s outlook: The Knicks have been searching for a star for years. It feels like every time an All-Star caliber guy hits free agency, we always see that guy photoshopped into a Knicks jersey. Instead, the Knicks have come up empty handed every year, and have nothing to show for being in the world’s biggest market. There’s some decent young talent in Madison Square Garden right now, but Westbrook would give the people a reason to be excited about Knicks basketball for the first time in a long time.

Russ to Sactown

Houston’s outlook: The Rockets are able to get back a pretty valuable piece for Westbrook in Buddy Hield. Hield is unhappy in Sacramento and reportedly won’t even return the texts of head coach Luke Walton. In Houston, Hield would have the opportunity to be a starter again and could even pair pretty well with James Harden should the Rockets attempt to thread the needle of trading Westbrook but not blowing it up entirely.

Sacramento’s outlook: The Kings are already the home of the guy who might be the fastest point guard in the NBA in De’Aaron Fox. Despite that, for some reason they decided to not fly up and down the court last season. If they add Westbrook to the mix they won’t have the same amount of shooting that they had last year, but they’ll have no choice but to play at absolutely chaotic levels of fast. This won’t make them a championship contender, but could Westbrook and Fox run their way into the playoffs? It just might be crazy enough to work.

Russ and Booker

Houston’s outlook: The Rockets can get off all of Westbrook’s bad money in just two years, instead of three, and add a couple of valuable trade pieces in the process of doing so. Kelly Oubre Jr. is a fun young player and could be an interesting add for a contender near the trade deadline should Houston choose to go that route. Ricky Rubio instantly went into Phoenix and made the Suns a better team, and while his best days might be behind him, he should be able to do that in just about any situation. Mikal Bridges is the one piece here for Houston that’s worth hanging on to for the long haul. He’s put up encouraging numbers in his first two years in Phoenix in a limited role, but could be pretty good if given the opportunity.

Phoenix’s outlook: The Suns were one of the best stories in Orlando after they went 8-0 in the seeding games yet failed to make the playoffs. If Phoenix was to add Westbrook to the mix, that ceiling climbs even higher. If Booker doesn’t have to do all the scoring on a regular basis, the Suns could become a dangerous team.

Russ in the Magic Kingdom

Houston’s outlook: For the Rockets, this trade is essentially getting off of Westbrook’s bad contract. He still has three years left on his deal at $41.3M per year. There’s no way the Rockets are looking forward to paying that, and if they can get rid of it, they absolutely should. Westbrook is still a good player, but he’s not going to be worth that amount of money when he turns 33 years oldin two more seasons.

Orlando’s outlook: The Magic is a team that just seems to be perpetually stuck in the middle. They’re not good enough to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, but they’re also nowhere near the level of bad that they need to be in order to bottom out and draft a superstar. Adding a former MVP in Westbrook might not put them over the hump to become a championship contender, but it gives the franchise some hope they can win more than a single first-round playoff game, like they’ve done in each of the last two seasons.