NBA News Roundup, Monday, July 8th: Rockets, Pistons and Heat want Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant switches jersey number, and more
Free Agents around the league can now officially sign with their new teams, and at this point, the remaining pool of available players is pretty shallow.
However, NBA teams will start to look towards trades over the coming weeks, and a number of major moves could still be in the works. So, with plenty going on around the NBA, here is all the latest news and rumors you need to know for Monday, July 8th.
Trio of playoff contenders interested in Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has spent his entire career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, although following the surprise departure of Paul George, the organization may be willing to part with their star man.
In terms of a destination, The Athletic is reporting that the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat are among the potential trade partners for the Thunder.
The report states that the sheer amount of money owed to Westbrook has scared off many potential suitors. However, the Heat and the Pistons remain realistic landing spots for the 30-year-old.
Meanwhile, Tim MacMahon of ESPN is reporting that Westbrook is also attracting from within the Western Conference, with the Houston Rockets keen to pull off an unlikely deal:
The Houston Rockets are among the teams interested in trading for Oklahoma City All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook... One Rockets source, however, described trading for Westbrook as a "long shot" due to the challenge of finding pieces that fit with the Thunder
Westbrook has averaged a triple-double in each of the past three seasons and still has four years remaining on the supermax deal he signed back in 2017.