The point guard from Los Angeles has 2 years left at $85.5 M however has a third year that is a gamer option. Paul has actually 2 years left at $85.5 M, but without a 3rd year to stress over.
A Westbrook addition would definitely warm up the Knicks-Nets rivalry even more so with his previous Thunder teammate Kevin Durant in Brooklyn. Durant left Westbrook in Oklahoma City in 2016 and he reportedly felt jilted.
Paradoxically, the Knicks thought they remained in fantastic position to snare Westbrook in the 2008 draft, choosing sixth. Then-president Donnie Walsh figured Westbrook would exist and was prepared to nab him. In reality, in the weeks before the draft, Wesbrook was being predicted in the 10-15 variety in many mock drafts.
With Houston president Daryl Morey stepping down a year after his controversial retweet about China/Hong Kong, league sources believe the Rockets are likelier to check out trading away explosive All-Star point player Russell Westbrook.
Still, the more explosive Westbrook probably is much better geared up to carry the load for a group than Paul, who is a playmaker but not a one-man wrecking ball of a scorer. Apparently, OKCs asking rate for Paul is very high and some league officials believe he d choose a title contender.
Some individuals in the league think Westbrook would welcome playing in the Big Apple, the fashion capital of the world. A West Coast guy, Westbrooks top pastime is fashion.
The Post has reported the Thunder choose Knox of any of their younger gamers they d want to trade. It is believed RJ Barrett, the No. 3 choice in 2019, and stud center Mitchell Robinson are all however off limits.
Jeff Van Gundy, who still resides in Houston, has interviewed for the Rockets task, looming as a leading prospect to change Mike DAntoni. Van Gundy could likewise search for a Rockets reset.
While Thunder guard Chris Paul and Indianas Victor Oladipo have actually captured Knicks president Leon Roses fancy, Knicks executives likely would turn some of their attention toward Texas if Westbrook is put on the market. The Rockets apparently will promote executive VP Rafael Stone to GM.
” I cant envision they are keeping Harden and Russ together,” one NBA executive said. “Russ excels best as the very best gamer on a group and Harden needs outside shooters around him– not a ball-dominant guard. I think Russ will be the one traded.”.
During Westbrooks MVP season in 2016-17, he balanced 31.6 points, 10.4 helps and 10.7 rebounds on a 47-35 Thunder club. This was before Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis were standouts, so Westbrook was working with a roster featuring Steven Adams and Enes Kanter amongst its best players.
” I cant imagine they are keeping Harden and Russ together,” one NBA executive stated. “Russ excels best as the best player on a team and Harden requires outside shooters around him– not a ball-dominant guard. Ironically, the Knicks believed they were in terrific position to snare Westbrook in the 2008 draft, choosing 6th. Then-president Donnie Walsh figured Westbrook would be there and was all set to capture him. In the weeks before the draft, Wesbrook was being forecasted in the 10-15 variety in the majority of mock drafts.
Westbrook, who turns 31 in November, is 3 1/2 years younger than Paul. Westbrook and Paul both have massive contracts and you can make the argument Westbrooks is even worse in spite of the age difference.
The Knicks have a trove of properties to trade for an All-Star, consisting of 7 first-round picks in the next four drafts, and lottery-pick potential customers such as Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr
Russell WestbrookCorey SipkinWestbrooks career scoring average is 23.2 points. Last season he averaged 27.2 points, 7.0 assists and 7.9 rebounds for Houston (44-28), ending up second in Rockets scoring to 2018 NBA MVP James Harden.
When Westbrook was put on the block in the summer season of 2019 but that was when previous president Steve Mills was in a more patient mode, the Knicks had no interest. Rose is seeking to jump-start this reconstruct, understanding Novembers draft might not land an eventual star with the No. 8 pick.
. They also have cap space to accept a big contract in a trade or they can attempt to work out the choice of Bobby Portis and attempt their finest at matching incomes to offer them flexibility for next season.
However, in the final weeks, Westbrooks stock increased significantly as the UCLA stars workouts were astonishing and Sam Presti took him at No. 4 for the then-Seattle Supersonics. The Knicks were entrusted to Danilo Gallinari, who has actually sculpted out a good profession but has not approached an All-Star level.
