Why the Trade Benefits the Houston Rockets
If the Houston Rockets are serious about blowing this whole thing up, then this trade for Russell Westbrook would be very beneficial. Stephen Silas and the new look front office could look to make a splash for a team that has had trouble winning in the postseason.
The return for Westbrook would be a veteran big in Young and a strong rotation player in Porter Jr. The draft pick is also good because with Westbrook, it is to be assumed that the polls will not land in a top-five in the draft. This means that the Rockets would have an extra first round pick to use in hopes of rebuilding.
Silas could choose to implement a new game plan that does not center around shooting threes at a high rate. This means he will have to get defensive-minded players that are multi-dimensional on the offensive end as well.
Both Harden and Westbrook are on big contracts so it would help if Houston could dump salary to open up some space. If the deal is made, it would make sense for the Rockets to send Westbrook to the Eastern Conference and get a nice return. This trade checks both boxes.
