Which Team Can Offer Most Value For Russell Westbrook?

5. Minnesota Timberwolves (WS Involved In Trade: 2.5 plus Kris Dunn)

This trade would serve as the unexpected blockbuster that this offseason has coveted to complement all of the high-risk contracts that have been signed for big money by unproven talents or players who have been prone to injury over the last few years.

Minnesota probably isn’t Westbrook’s first destination in terms of places to live, but on the court he couldn’t ask for two players with more upside than Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.

The likelihood that he’d re-sign with the team if there was a deep run in this year’s playoffs involved is higher than some might think.

Westbrook is a born competitor and his talents combined with the young core and wisdom of new head coach Tom Thibodeau sounds like a threat to the rest of the Western Conference.

As for the Thunder, the numbers say this is one of the weaker trade packages most likely on the market in terms of immediate value, but the upside is huge.

Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn could turn into one of the better backcourts in a few years’ time and Nikola Pekovic would be a nice mentor to Steven Adams and Enes Kanter at the center spot.

LaVine and Dunn both have All-Star upside and those two, along with Cameron Payne and Victor Oladipo, would replace some of the scoring left on the table by Westbrook’s departure. This is certainly a package for the Thunder to think about in the long-term.

Next: Contention In Utah