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Russell Westbrook was acquired last offseason by the Houston Rockets in a highly successful trade by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, it looks like he could be on the move this offseason with the New York Knicks as potential landing spots.
After attacking free agent target after free agent target, the Knicks could turn to the exchange market to acquire a franchise star. Westbrook would be exactly the type of player New York needs to be back in the playoffs.
According to Eric Pincus from Bleacher Report, at least one NBA executive believes the Knicks could end up trading with the Rockets to get Westbrook.
Westbrook would immediately make the Knicks a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, it won’t be cheap and New York would have to part with some of its young talents in order to close this deal.
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the Rockets, Westbrook put together a great season alongside James Harden. He averaged 27.2 points per game along with 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists. Westbrook shot 47.2 percent from the floor overall and just 25.8 percent from the 3-point line.
Playing Harden worked well for Westbrook. Being traded to the Knicks would also be a good situation, as Westbrook could once again be the man to go to offensively.
The only potential problem with this deal would be that the Knicks have enough talent to keep Westbrook happy. You will not want to not compete again. At least with the Rockets, Westbrook was able to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs.
At age 31, Westbrook’s prime will only last a few more years. He’s an extreme athlete, but that will start to fade. If the Knicks can’t offer him a chance to compete, this deal could end up being a disaster for New York.
All that said, Russell Westbrook is a name to be watched closely. The Rockets may not decide to blow things up, but if they do, the Knicks should see what it would take to make a trade.
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