The Miami Heat are the surprise news of the season. No one expected the Heat will go deep into the postseason and much less make it to the NBA Finals. In the upcoming campaigns, Miami will be a marked team and more so if they can get Russell Westbrook on board.
The Florida team is in a strong position to disappoint the title aspirations of the Los Angeles Lakers. Erik Spoelstra can dash LeBron James' dream of winning his fourth NBA ring and can do the same in the next few years to come. But the Heat head coach needs a superstar upgrade and Westbrook is likely available.
The Houston Rockets are tipped to make some calibrations in the offseason and analysts are convinced that since Westbrook failed to impress this season, he will be utilized as a trade capital. It will be a smart move as teams will certainly have a hard look at the former MVP.
The Heat signing up Westbrook was proposed by NBA analyst Jake Rogers, believing that Spoelstra's crew next season can boast of three superstars. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are already on the lineup so for the Big 3 to be completed, Miami will need to make the deal that will bring in Westbrook.
"Westbrook heading to South Beach would make a lot of sense. He would add the lethal scoring threat that could propel the Heat to the top of the Eastern Conference," Fadeaway World reported Rogers as saying.
Of course, the acquisition will mean that Spoelstra must give up key players. It seemed likely that putting Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson on the table will be a strong argument for the Rockets to consider. The two are shooting assets that will open dimensions for Houston and when they start operating around James Harden then the team will realize the boost they have obtained.
Another benefit for the Rockets to agree to trade is flexibility. Offloading Westbrook will translate to freed finances for Miami, funds that they can use to beef up in the offseason. So it is win-win for the Rockets front office to do business leveraging an asset such as Westbrook.
Or Houston can look elsewhere to maximize the things that they can get in offering Westbrook for an exchange. Clutch Points said trade with Detroit Pistons can be considered with the team checking out the promises of Blake Griffin.
The New York Knicks are a possibility too. If the NY club is interested in Westbrook, the best that Houston can get is Mitchell Robinson.
But the best return outside of Miami and all the teams mentioned will likely come from Philadelphia. If the Sixers want to sign Westbrook, the Rockets will likely get their hands on any of the three - Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, or Tobias Harris.
