Detroit Pistons: A trade for Russell Westbrook (with no Blake Griffin)

Dec 14, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts from the bench during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 14, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts from the bench during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook, Houston Rockets (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

According to some sports betting outlets, the Detroit Pistons are still in the running for Russell Westbrook. If they make a trade, it might look like this.

Things broke down quickly for the Houston Rockets. They were dismantled easily in five games by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, and then head coach Mike D’Antoni informed the team he would not be returning next season. Shortly thereafter, longtime general manager Daryl Morey left, and now Russell Westbrook wants a trade, and the Detroit Pistons might be able to capitalize.

According to at least one sportsbook, the Pistons are in the running to trade for Westbrook’s services. Whether they should or not is a different story, and we’ll save that for another day.

The Pistons have plenty of cap space and have the flexibility to allow for taking on Westbrook’s remaining three years and $132 million. In a different world where they have no space, Blake Griffin’s contract would almost certainly be necessary for salary-matching purposes, but there’s no such concern in this case.

So, now that we’ve beaten the “Blake for Russ” trade idea to death, let’s take a look at a trade that doesn’t involve Griffin at all. We’ll break down the package here, and then discuss how the deal would work for both teams.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at how this trade would work for the Detroit Pistons.