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As the NBA offseason reaches the end stages of player movement, there is still one superstar who could see himself on the move in the near future. After seeing Paul George get traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook could be on his way out of town. That opens up an opportunity for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat to take advantage of.
Ever since the report broke that Oklahoma City could trade Westbrook, Miami has been the most connected team to him. Other teams that have been connected are the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, but the Heat make much more sense.
Miami has already been aggressive this offseason, acquiring Jimmy Butler in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. They also traded Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Meyers Leonard. Adding Westbrook to their roster to pair with Butler should be the Heat's main priority.
Why should the Heat go all out to acquire Westbrook to form a dynamic duo with Butler? There are quite a few reasons.
First and foremost, Westbrook is one of the best players in the game. Even though his numbers have taken some heat from critics and his shooting numbers haven't been up to where they are needed, Westbrook is capable of changing things for any franchise he plays for.
Last season with the Thunder, Westbrook ended up averaging 22.9 points per game to go along with 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists. He shot 42.8 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 29.0 percent from the three-point line. Despite his shooting numbers, the Heat would love to have that kind of production on their roster.
The NBA shifted in a big way this offseason. Gone are the days of “super teams” who no one else is expected to compete with. Now, teams are gearing up with superstar duos and building strong rosters around them.
Westbrook joining Butler would give Miami the kind of superstar duo that they need to compete. It would also help them in a wide open Eastern Conference, although the Brooklyn Nets will be tough after this season when Kevin Durant returns from his torn Achilles.
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In addition to forming a superstar duo, the Heat would be putting two players together that other players around the league will want to play with. Riley formed a super team in the past with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, and has shown the ability to recruit quality players.
Miami is already a free agency hot spot with the draw to play in South Beach. Add in the fact that they can offer other free agents a chance to compete for a title with Westbrook and Butler, and things would be tough for free agents to turn down in the years to come.
Needless to say, the Heat would be an immediate contender with Butler and Westbrook. It would be tough to come to an agreement with the Thunder due to the lack of assets Miami has. Any deal would likely have to include players like Tyler Herro, Justise Winslow, and possibly Bam Adebayo.
Those players could intriguing the Thunder, but Sam Presti will be looking for even more draft compensation.
It will be interesting to see which teams decide to step up and make a strong push to acquire Westbrook. Miami is certainly going to be a team to keep an eye on, but there are others who could put together stronger trade packages than the Heat. Either way, Riley and company should do everything in their power to get something done with the Thunder to pair Westbrook and Butler.
Only time will tell, but we will surely hear more news and rumors surrounding Westbrook in the near future.
