The Houston Rockets will face the need to trade Russell Westbrook during the NBA offseason. This will be just one of the major changes the organization has experienced— starting with the departures of Daryl Morey and Mike D’Antoni.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Kelly Iko, Westbrook informed the Rockets he was uneasy with the team’s accountability and culture— additionally, that he desires to return to a floor-general role.
“Russell Westbrook has informed team officials that he has been uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture, and has a desire to return to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City.”
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There was initially speculation that Houston could be faced with the possibility of both James Harden and Westbrook wanting to be traded. That didn’t end up being the case as Harden remains committed to the Rockets and the team intends to build around him.
The list of logical landing spots for Westbrook becomes limited based on his desire to be an ultra high-usage guard as he was during his time the Oklahoma City Thunder. It seems a fringe Eastern Conference playoff team without a high-level point guard would be the best option.
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One of the main obstacles in accommodating Westbrook’s request from the Rockets’ perspective will be the compensation they receive. A fringe playoff team may not have the necessary win-now pieces to help Houston build around James Harden in a major way.
It will be fascinating to see how the Houston Rockets navigate the trade market for Russell Westbrook. The shortened NBA offseason certainly makes it all the more difficult to work through various scenarios and have complete preparation as things change.
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