If the Oklahoma City Thunder trade All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, which deals would make sense?
OKC is likely headed toward a rebuild, following Paul George's departure to join Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers over the weekend. Westbrook is interested in being dealt to a contending team, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and his camp has discussed trade possibilities with Thunder general manager Sam Presti.
While Westbrook is coming off an All-NBA season, he will turn 31 in November and is owed $171 million over the next four years, which could complicate potential trade packages.
Our NBA Insiders give six Westbrook deals that work for both sides.
Phoenix Suns
Suns get: Russell Westbrook
Thunder get: Guard Tyler Johnson, forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (via sign-and-trade), center Aron Baynes, 2022 first-round pick (lottery protected, otherwise converts to second-round picks in 2022 and 2023)
Kevin Pelton: Because Phoenix wouldn't trade star guard Devin Booker (who would team with Westbrook in a high-scoring backcourt) and Ricky Rubio can't be traded until Dec. 15, a trade to the Suns almost certainly would have to include a sign-and-trade involving restricted free agent Oubre. As long as Oubre's deal was for a minimum of three years and started at more than $12.1 million, this deal would work.
Getting Oubre, a 23-year-old wing who averaged 20.6 points per 36 minutes after last season's trade to Phoenix, would be the main value for Oklahoma City in this deal. It also potentially yields a first-round pick if the Suns become a playoff team and gives the Thunder cap flexibility. With Baynes and Johnson both in the final year of their contracts, Oklahoma City would save somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million in 2020-21 salary depending on the deal Oubre signed.
Unfortunately, this deal leaves Phoenix's roster somewhat imbalanced. After previously being overstuffed there, the Suns would suddenly be thin on the wing and reliant on first-round picks Ty Jerome and Cameron Johnson to play rotation minutes as rookies. Phoenix also would be too crowded at point guard with the addition of Westbrook alongside Rubio, who agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal less than 10 days ago and would no longer really fit. But the Suns would still have an excellent chance of ending a nine-season playoff drought.
Detroit Pistons
Pistons get: Russell Westbrook
Thunder get: Reggie Jackson, Langston Galloway, Tony Snell, 2020 unprotected first-round pick, pick swap in 2021, 2022 unprotected first-round pick
Bobby Marks: The Pistons already have two core players on the roster in Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, and acquiring Westbrook gives them a franchise point guard under contract for the next four seasons. Due to their cap situation, the Pistons have few other ways to add this kind of All-Star talent. With Jackson and Galloway on expiring contracts -- plus Snell serving as a two-year placeholder at forward -- the cost for Detroit is essentially three picks.
OKC sheds the $171 million left on Westbrook's contract for that expiring money and additional draft assets. Following this deal, the Thunder would have eight future first-round picks and the right to swap in three separate seasons. It also would get OKC closer to dropping below the tax threshold.
Miami Heat
Heat get: Russell Westbrook, Patrick Patterson
Thunder get: Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow, Kelly Olynyk, 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected in 2025, unprotected in 2026)*
Tim Bontemps: Since George was traded late Friday night, the Heat have been mentioned most frequently as Westbrook's likely next destination. Miami is committed to trying to be good right now after adding Jimmy Butler. The team has the culture to fit Westbrook's competitive personality and is locked into contracts that make sense in a trade for Westbrook's large salary.
This deal would allow Oklahoma City to acquire a young player (Winslow) and an extra pick. And while it would mean the Thunder would take on slightly more money (a necessity because Miami is hard-capped), the Thunder would then have Dragic and Danilo Gallinari as two massive expiring contracts. They could flip both between now and the trade deadline to get more assets back and save further cash on their luxury tax bill.
*Miami would need its protected 2023 pick (now owed to OKC) to convey that season or in 2024 to convey this pick in 2025
Denver Nuggets
Nuggets get: Russell Westbrook
Thunder get: Paul Millsap, Juan Hernangomez
Andrew Han: Reach for the stars, Mile High. Or star.
Denver has tried repeatedly in recent years to woo a top-tier free agent to no avail. The Nuggets' core roster is young, talented and in the mix for a suddenly wide-open NBA Finals berth. And while Westbrook might not be the triple-double juggernaut of MVP yesteryear, a selectively focused force of nature Russ could thrust a Denver squad that already is a legitimate threat past other title suitors.
Oklahoma City's interests are mildly altruistic: Send its franchise face to a squad that is poised to make a run. For the Thunder's trouble, they get another high-value expiring contract that could be flipped for more assets, a young big, more breathing room from any tax implications -- oh, and the public relations victory of "doing right" by a franchise star with no title route in OKC.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Timberwolves get: Russell Westbrook, Andre Roberson
Thunder get: Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Josh Okogie
André Snellings: If the Timberwolves consider moving on from Wiggins, the four years and $122.2 million left on his contract make finding a logical home for him difficult. However, he fits very well as the main piece in a deal for Westbrook, who is owed almost $50 million more over that span. Wiggins also is still just 24 years old, and he averaged 23.6 points per game during the season that he turned 22. Wiggins isn't particularly efficient and doesn't bring much else outside of his scoring, but OKC could take a swing on him having upside left during this rebuild. Teague, like Gallinari, is a starting-caliber veteran on a large expiring contract who could have future trade value. And Okogie, a first-round pick from 2018, is coming off a promising rookie season, and he looks impressive thus far at summer league.
Meanwhile, Westbrook and Karl-Anthony Towns would form an elite one-two punch for the Wolves, catapulting them higher in a suddenly wide-open Western Conference where two All-NBA talents seems to be a prerequisite. Towns and Westbrook have very synergistic games, and each could be the other's ticket to the next level of team success. When healthy, Roberson is an elite defender, and he would pair with Robert Covington to give opposing wings fits.
Chicago Bulls
Bulls get: Russell Westbrook
Thunder get: Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, Cristiano Felicio, 2020 first-round pick (lottery protected in 2020, top-10 protected in 2021 protected, unprotected in 2022)
Bontemps: Chicago is the best basketball fit for Westbrook. After years of being surrounded without real shooting in OKC, Westbrook would be on a team that stretches the floor at almost every spot on the court. That would give him the room to do what he does best -- attack the basket relentlessly -- with the spacing to potentially improve his efficiency.
For OKC, this trade accomplishes the three primary objectives of a Westbrook deal: save money, acquire an intriguing young player and receive a first-round pick. It gets the Thunder fully under the luxury tax line (with room to spare). As a 24-year-old shooter, LaVine could continue to improve to the point that OKC flips him for more assets down the line. And the Thunder continue to stockpile picks.
All in all, this feels like a fair deal for both sides.