The Charlotte Hornets have emerged as a trade suitor for disgruntled Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook, according to Stadium's Shams Charania.
Westbrook has requested a trade from the Rockets after a turbulent 2019-20 campaign alongside James Harden. The one-time MVP isn't a fan of the team's culture and wants to go back to a role like he had with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Westbrook's bloated contract could be tough to move, the Hornets do have a few big contracts of their own they could put on the table in a trade offer. Nicolas Batum has a player option worth over $27 million, while Terry Rozier is set to make nearly $19 million and Cody Zeller has a $15.4 million deal for 2020-21.
Whether the Rockets would be interested in taking on any of these Hornets deals remains to be seen. Of course, Houston might not have much of a choice when it comes to taking on some unwanted salary given Westbrook's own massive deal that's set to pay him over $132 million over the next three years.
Perhaps the Hornets could sweeten the pot a bit with a young player or draft pick, but it's just about impossible to see them giving up the No. 3 pick or somebody like Devonte' Graham. P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges and Malik Monk are just a few of the other young talents on the roster.
If Westbrook were to be traded to Charlotte, he would certainly be able to run the show as the lead man. There's also the Jordan Brand connection with Michael Jordan as the owner.
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