Russell Westbrook is headed to the Washington Wizards who agreed to send John Wall and a future pick to the Houston Rockets. The deal puts to rest weeks of speculation on where the former NBA MVP would be playing in the 2020-21 season.
Before the Westbrook trade to the Wizards, there were several teams linked to the All-Star guard. That included the New York Knicks but new head coach Tom Thibodeau was wary of spending a lot since it would prevent him from taking in more talent. The Cleveland Cavaliers also explored options with the 32-year-old guard.
It appears the Cavs have made inquiries about Westbrook but the Rockets have upped the stakes. Knowing they are headed to a rebuild, Houston wants to make sure that they get young players and future assets in a Westbrook deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic said when he appeared on the Complex Load Management podcast.
The Rockets and Cavs reportedly discussed a potential Russell Westbrook trade on Draft week, via @ShamsCharania, h/t @WeAreCavsNation. pic.twitter.com/PdvMjq1b6l — Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 1, 2020
It would be worth noting that Westbrook alone costs a lot. He is owed roughly $132.5 million for the next three years aside from the Rockets' demand for multiple assets. He holds a player option in 2022 and becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2023.
Investing in Westbrook can turn the fortunes of any NBA team around. He has already proven that when he took over from Kevin Durant in 2017. He averaged a triple-double throughout the season, netting him the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player.
If that does fancy the Cavs, the only plausible player they can offer was Kevin Love. He has been mentioned in several trade rumors in the past so a swap could work. The only problem is Houston may want Collin Sexton and Darius Garland as well.
The two are the Cavs rising young stars manning the backcourt. A Westbrook coming would render them dispensable, so one or both could be dealt along. This is aside from other potential future picks.
Dealing away Love right now may also make little sense for the Cavs. The scenario would have been different if Tristan Thompson was still around. But most know that the Canadian is now with the Boston Celtics.
Andre Drummond is still around though he too is waiting on a new deal. His contract will expire at the end of the 2020-21 season.
There multiple possibilities for the Cavs but choosing the plausible one will be hard. For Westbrook, he too has options. The only question is which team can afford him.
