If Russell Westbrook departs the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, he may find a home with the Miami Heat.
The Heat have been given the best odds to sign Westbrook if he ultimately parts ways with the Clippers this summer, via Bovada.
Westbrook has a $4 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign, but it's seeming somewhat unlikely that he will exercise it. Not that Westbrook is capable of making big money on the open market anymore, but he did not seem too thrilled with his role in Los Angeles (although Westbrook has denied the reports).
The 35-year-old played in 68 games this past season, with 57 of those appearances coming off the bench. He averaged 11.1 points, five rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals over 22.5 minutes per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the floor, 27.3 percent from three-point range and 68.8 percent from the free-throw line. Westbrook also logged just .066 win shares per 48 minutes as he continued his descent into near irrelevancy.
Would Russell Westbrook even fit with the Heat or any contender?
Serious question: would any legitimate contender even want Westbrook on their roster at this stage of his career?
The past few seasons have been an unmitigated disaster for Westbrook. The Los Angeles Lakers tried to incorporate him into their lineup when they acquired him from the Washington Wizards in a five-team trade during the summer of 2021. He lasted just a season-and-a-half with the Lakers before being dealt to the Utah Jazz at last year's trade deadline, but he was instantly waived and then signed with the Clippers.
Westbrook's miserable inefficiency and penchant for turnovers were a major issue with the Lakers, and those problems once again reared their ugly heads with the Clippers. The nine-time All-Star was once one of the most exciting players in basketball, but his waning athleticism has made life very difficult for him as he approaches the end of his career.
The Heat definitely need offense. They ranked 21st in the NBA in offensive efficiency and 27th in points per game this past season. They tried to remedy the issue by acquiring guard Terry Rozier at the deadline, but Rozier's middling efficiency didn't help Miami's cause all that much.
Would Westbrook really help in that area?
The former MVP is one of the most inefficient scorers in the league, and while he could represent a microwave scorer off the bench on some nights, he just does not seem like he is worth it overall to a Heat squad that needs to add legitimate shooters; not bring in guys who make under 30 percent of their three-pointers.
Even at the peak of his powers, Westbrook was a questionable fit on many teams due to his volatile decision-making and tendency to take bad shots. However, at that point, he was athletic enough to compensate for his deficiencies. But now? Westbrook may have reached the point of no return, and while he will almost certainly find a home this summer, whichever team that brings him aboard would be taking a considerable risk.
We'll see how things shape up for Westbrook in the coming months.
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