Russell Westbrook was acquired last offseason by the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, it appears that he could potentially be on the move this offseason with the New York Knicks being a potential landing spots.
After striking out on free agent target after free agent target, the Knicks could turn to the trade market to acquire a franchise star. Westbrook would be exactly the kind of player New York needs to get back into playoff contention.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, at least one NBA executive believes that the Knicks could end up swinging a trade with the Rockets to land Westbrook.
Westbrook would immediately make the Knicks a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, he won’t come cheap and New York would have to part with some of their young talent in order to get this deal done.
During the 2019-20 NBA season with the Rockets, Westbrook put together a big season alongside James Harden. He averaged 27.2 points per game to go 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 three-point line.
Playing with Harden worked out well for Westbrook. Being traded to the Knicks would also be a good situation, as Westbrook could go back to being the go-to guy offensively.
The only potential issue with this deal would be the Knicks having enough talent to keep Westbrook happy. He isn’t going to want to go back to not contending. At least with the Rockets, Westbrook was able to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs.
At 31 years old, Westbrook’s prime is only going to be around for another few years. He is an extreme athlete, but that will begin going away. If the Knicks can’t offer him a chance to contend, this deal could end up being a disaster for New York.
All of that being said, Russell Westbrook is a name that should be watched closely. The Rockets may not choose to blow things up, but if they do, the Knicks absolutely should see what it would take to get a trade done.
