Russell Westbrook Likely To Stay Put?
There have been plenty of rumors suggesting Russell Westbrook is on the move, but recent reports say otherwise.
Following the decision heard around the world of Kevin Durant agreeing to a deal with the Golden State Warriors, much of the focus for Oklahoma City Thunder fans shifted towards the possibility of Russell Westbrook being the next one on his way out this summer.
Westbrook will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2016-17 season. For the Thunder, approaching the situation smartly would be to put him on the trading block and see what offers may surface because after Durant’s shocking decision, there are certainly no guarantees that Westbrook would re-sign next summer.
Immediately, the Los Angeles Lakers came to mind for possible landing destination via trade. There have been whispers that Westbrook would be interested in playing for the Lakers considering it’s his hometown team and a huge market, but they weren’t the only ones. The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks also were included in the rumors about making a possible deal for the five-time NBA All-Star.
As the dust still begins to settle, it’s looking more likely that Westbrook will at least be apart of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first portion of the season. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski was on Colin Cowherd’s radio show recently talking about the chances that Westbrook remains apart of the Thunder:
"“Right now, his mindset is on the team they have and can we add pieces in the short term, can we go out in free agency,” Wojnarowski said. “That doesn’t mean he’s not leaving next year, but his attitude isn’t ‘Aww man, Kevin left. I’m screwed, I need to get out of here.’“He’s been … I’ve been told Russell’s been very determined to lead the team they have, and I know that Russell really likes the town. He loves bringing in (Victor) Oladipo … Steven Adams. Those are his guys. He thinks they’re a real talented team that if they can add another significant piece it puts them right back in contention. I think he’s embracing this, and he can go out next summer and get a $200 million dollar extension with Oklahoma City.”"
If Durant would’ve stayed, the addition of Oladipo may have given them an even better chance at defeating the Warriors in the playoffs if they were to face one another again. Now, life without Durant projects the Thunder dropping somewhere in the 6-9 range in terms of the standings in the West.
If Westbrook wants to stay the entire season and then decides to sign elsewhere, it could put the Thunder in a hole and may take years of rebuilding to even come close to what they’ve been known for.
Westbrook has been known for putting up ridiculous numbers when Durant was out with injury, though, which will give Thunder plans plenty of hope that he can lead them back to the Western Conference Finals next season.
Westbrook’s averages in 61 games without Durant:
- 28.0 PPG
- 8.4 APG
- 7.1 RPG
- 41.9 FG%
A starting lineup of Westbrook, Oladipo, Andre Roberson, Steven Adams, and potentially Enes Kanter is certainly nothing to overlook. The road to the conference finals will be much tougher and they’ll have to get past either the Warriors or San Antonio Spurs to do so, but Westbrook is the most fiery competitor in the league, and with him leading the way you always have a chance.
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Hopefully for the Thunder’s sake, they’ll have him.