NBA Trade Rumors: Houston Rockets could be open to trading Russell Westbrook
What's the rumor?
Despite swapping Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul during the 2019 offseason, the Houston Rockets have shown little improvement during the opening months of the campaign. Mike D'Antoni's team sit fourth in the Western Conference with a 21-10 record, and after suffering a humiliating Christmas Day loss to the Golden State Warriors - there are serious doubts over the current rosters' ability to compete with the likes of the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers.
An ambitious Rockets front office is likely to be active in the weeks ahead, and Ryen Russillo believes that the team could be open to trading Westbrook ahead of the trade deadline:
There are people who believe that Westbrook is available and that Daryl (Morey) knows I gotta figure something out here and it’s about the contract more than somebody watching Westbrook.
In case you didn't know...
Westbrook was selected fourth overall in the 2008 draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder (then Seattle SuperSonics) and the 8-time All-Star went on to spend 11 seasons with the team. During his time in Oklahoma City, Westbrook made just one trip to the NBA Finals, although the point guard firmly established himself as one of the best players in the league and was named Most Valuable Player back in 2017.
He signed a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Thunder following his MVP season, although the team allowed him to join the Rockets earlier this year following the departure of fellow All-Star Paul George. Since heading to Houston, Westbrook has played 28 times, averaging 24.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game.
The heart of the matter
The Rockets hoped that Westbrook's arrival would help secure a title, although his fit alongside James Harden has been questionable. Due to this, Daryl Morey may be open to a potential trade, although the Rockets will find it incredibly difficult to offload the final three-years of his contract.
What's next?
The Rockets will be looking to bounce back from their defeat against the Warriors on Saturday evening as they take on the Brooklyn Nets.