Houston Rockets: Buy or sell on Russell Westbrook trade destinations
By Dalton Sell
Philadelphia 76ers (+700) – Sell without hesitation
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the market for a point guard this offseason, but Russell Westbrook should not be high on their list whatsoever. After bringing in Al Horford last summer, the combination of he, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid eliminated virtually any floor spacing and hindered the team’s success all season long.
Even if the team could get one of their $100+ million contracts off the table with Tobias Harris or Al Horford in a trade for Westbrook, he worsens the already problematic amount of outside shooting. Hitting just 25.8 percent of his shots from deep on the year, the guard would not help the 76ers inch any closer to being the Eastern Conference’s favorites. On top of that, Russell Westbrook and 76ers big man Joel Embiid have a well-documented feud spanning over the past few seasons, and Philadelphia does not need any more drama.
Milwaukee Bucks (+375) – Sell to find shooters for Giannis
The Milwaukee Bucks are in a similar boat to the Philadelphia 76ers when trading for Russell Westbrook. Although the Bucks are trying to offload current floor general Eric Bledsoe, they are doing so in hopes of finding a better shooter from behind the arc.
Westbrook is a downgrade compared to Bledsoe in that facet of the game and would be a nightmarish fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo. The NBA’s two-time assists leader might be able to help the Bucks with their playmaking issues, averaging 7.0 assists per game on the season. However, when teams wall off the paint in the postseason and Antetokounmpo needs a reliable threat on the perimeter, Westbrook is not the player that can complement him there.