There have been a few teams linked as possible trade candidates for Russell Westbrook, including the Charlotte Hornets. Mitch Kupchak, the president and general manager of the Hornets, shared a cryptic response on whether Charlotte will pursue Westbrook or not.
“Some of the (media) reports that are released are accurate and some aren’t,” Kupchak said of speculation surrounding the draft and free-agency, via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. “It is my job to take every call from every general manager. Ninety-five percent of the time, there’s really not much to discuss.”
Earlier this week, it was rumored that Westbrook was growing uneasy about the direction of the Houston Rockets. At the same time, multiple reports suggested that Westbrook would welcome a trade from the Rockets this offseason.
Following the news of Westbrook possibly wanting out of Houston, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that the Hornets could be a possible landing spot. Of course, the former NBA MVP would immediately become the best player on Charlotte's rebuilding roster.
However, while he would undoubtedly sell tickets, Westbrook just turned 32 years old and has around $130 million remaining on his current contract. Despite the risks of acquiring Westbrook, Kupchak is contractually obligated to pursue every avenue that can improve the Hornets.
Besides having a decent amount of cap space, Charlotte also holds the Nos. 3, 32, and 56 overall picks in the 2020 NBA Draft. It should be noted that a trade involving Westbrook could not come to fruition this offseason and he remains with the Rockets.
But if Houston is willing to listen to offers, Kupchak and the Hornets aren't ruling out the possibility of pursuing the All-Star point guard via trade.
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