LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – JULY 31: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Are the Rockets going to trade Russell Westbrook to the Cavaliers?
After the Houston Rockets shopped him around the league following his apparent trade request, Russell Westbrook hasn’t seen a ton of action in the rumor mill, as only a few rebuilding teams like the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets engaged in discussions. In a rather cruel twist of fate
Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are destined to once again be mired near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, are throwing their name in the Westbrook ring.
Russell Westbrook is coming off of an All-NBA season, but he has a hefty price tag
Apparently, averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game on a Rockets team that won a playoff series isn’t enough for Westbrook to earn himself a hypothetical trade to a contender. Westbrook would certainly help Cleveland improve from last year’s dreadful finish, but not enough to make the postseason, as the Cavaliers still have the league’s worst defense. Adding an elite scorer that is average on the defensive end isn’t the answer for this team.
Cleveland has two promising young guards in Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. However, Sexton remains a poor distributor and likely more suited to an off-ball role, while Garland, who played more off-ball last year, shot just 40 percent from the field. Despite their flaws, one of these players, in addition to veteran big man Kevin Love, could end up going to Houston in any hypothetical trade.
While this deal would help Houston get a few quality starters in exchange for Westbrook, this seems really unfair for Russ himself, as a future Hall of Famer is only wanted by the dregs of the league as opposed to any contending teams.