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Miami Heat: Pros and cons of trading for Russell Westbrook

By Simon Smith

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 21: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 21: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder warms up before the game against the Portland Trail Blazers during Game Four of Round One of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 21, 2019 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

With the sudden turbulence surrounding the Oklahoma City Thunder, here are the pros and cons of the Miami Heat trading for Russell Westbrook.

To say that there have been enormous implications following the Los Angeles Clippers’ grand sweep in landing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George would be a massive understatement.

With Leonard signing with the Clippers as a free agent in the knowledge they were about to pull off an almighty blockbuster deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the future of a number of teams changed in an instant.

In addition to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had heavily pursued Leonard, and the Toronto Raptors, who were hoping to continue their partnership with the reigning NBA Finals MVP, it’s the Thunder who rapidly need to reassess their future. George’s sudden request for a trade completely threw the Thunder’s future up in the air, with their gathering of future draft picks likely indicating a complete reset of the franchise.

This is where Russell Westbrook comes into the equation. An eight-time All-Star, Westbrook’s career accomplishments simply speak for themselves. At 30 years of age, the combination of a suddenly reshaped roster, and the timeline of his career means the Thunder and Westbrook should reassess their now 11-year partnership, which ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reports they will do.

Enter the Miami Heat, who, following their acquisition of free agent Jimmy Butler, are naturally keen to pair him with another star moving forward. Having said that, a number of factors will need to be taken into account if the Heat were to seriously pursue Westbrook.

With this in mind, here are some of the pros and cons the Miami Heat will need to weigh when considering a trade for Russell Westbrook.

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