According to reports, a source very close to the Oklahoma City Thunder has said that general manager Sam Presti has already started to look for potential trade partners for his All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook. The Thunder took a major hit when Kevin Durant left to join the rival Golden State Warriors and Presit is fully aware that he can’t afford to lose Westbrook for nothing when he becomes a free agent next offseason. That makes an in-season trade that much more likely and we have already heard plenty of rumblings about where he is most likely to end up. Here is a look at the four most likely potential landing spots for Russell Westbrook this season.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics landed Al Horford in the offseason but their search for a true superstar continues after missing out on the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love and Durant over the last few years. Boston is on the cusp of becoming a legitimate NBA championship contender and there are a lot of people that feel Westbrook can help put them over the top in the Eastern Conference. Celtics’ GM Danny Ainge has plenty of young talent and draft picks to help convince the Thunder to make a deal and the fact that Boston has the trade chips and the desire to land a star makes them the obvious frontrunner to land Westbrook at some point in the near future.
Los Angeles Lakers
There has been plenty of talk about how Westbrook actually wants to join the Lakers as a free agent next offseason because he grew up in Southern California. Remember that he also went to school at UCLA. The question is whether or not Los Angeles has the necessary assets to convince Westbrook to sign a long-term deal with them and whether or not the Lakers have the trade pieces to entice Oklahoma City to make a deal. LA could send a player like D’Angelo Russell or Julius Randle to the Thunder, but ultimately that would only hurt them in the long run as they try to build a contender. The Lakers still make a lot of sense if that is ultimately where Westbrook wants to sign, but getting a deal done will be very much contingent on what they show this year.
If they prove to have a core of pieces that show some optimism, say that Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle prove to be legitimate starters, and maybe someone else emerges, then adding Westbrook could make the Lakers a playoff team. But if it’s just Westbrook on his own, he’ll probably opt to sign somewhere he has a better shot of winning.
Los Angeles Clippers
Is there a chance that Westbrook’s LA ties lead to him moving to the Clippers at some point? Blake Griffin may or may not be on the trading block depending on who you ask but what if the Clippers are willing to keep Griffin in the fold for another year and add Westbrook to a core that also features Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan? The Clippers still have some intriguing young talent and picks that they could offer Oklahoma City in order to facilitate a trade and there is a legitimate argument to be made that they are the better fit for Westbrook if he wants to return to LA.
New York Knicks
One of the more intriguing fits out there could be the Knicks, which might seem like a reach at this point, but could have a strong enough package that Westbrook is enticed to go there. After all, the NBA’s most fashion-knowledgeable superstar could be the perfect fit in the fashion capital of the United States where he would have no shortage of endorsements and the Knicks do have an intriguing core in place right now with Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis and Joakim Noah. Westbrook, Anthony and Porzingis make the Knicks a playoff team and if they can get a couple of other pieces to go with them, the Knicks could immediately emerge as one of the top teams in the East. remember, this is the easier of the two conferences.
It still might be the most unlikely of destinations on this list but New York would be the perfect culture fit for a star like Westbrook and we have certainly seen stranger trades happen before.
