The New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets are believed to be among the only NBA teams with “verified trade interest” for Houston Rockets All-Star Russell Westbrook, according to a report from Marc Stein of The New York Times.
Charlotte and the Knicks are the only teams with verified trade interest in Russell Westbrook, league sources say … interest with many caveats
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 17, 2020
Westbrook recently made his offseason intentions clear, noting that he would like to be dealt to another team. At the time, it wasn’t clear which franchise would be interested, as he is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA. In fact, the market for him was said to be “barren,” as he has three years and up to $131.5 million left on his contract.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Charlotte Hornets are “most likely” to trade for Westbrook — if a trade happens at all. Principle owner Michael Jordan is said to be interested in acquiring The Brodie, but the team is reportedly unwilling to give up their No. 3 overall pick in the coming draft.
The Knicks have the No. 8 overall pick in this year’s draft, and they are a team that could use a star player. Their interest in Westbrook is rational, but would he be the piece needed to turn the organization around? If New York can find a way to get Westbrook off the discount rack, team president Leon Rose would likely pull the proverbial trigger. The Knicks feel they have a fair amount of leverage and they aren’t trying to give up any key future assets, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks have cap space to inherit the three years and $130 million left Westbrook’s contract. It would be more palatable cap-wise if a deal includes Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr., plus sweetened by one of Dallas’ two future first-rounders.
For now, it seems we’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out where Westbrook will be playing in the coming season. He’s coming off a great 2019-20 campaign, with averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds.
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