3 Teams that dodged a bullet with Russell Westbrook news
By Cal Durrett
Miami Heat
The Heat were widely regarded as the favorites to sign Westbrook after he was traded from the Lakers. That didn’t happen; instead, they changed their focus to pursuing and signing Kevin Love, which they did. While they could still use some point guard help, they did manage to boost their frontcourt by adding Love as well as Cody Zeller, who will likely backup all-star center Bam Adebayo.
The decision to pivot away from signing Westbrook is a curious one, but it may be explained by a report that suggests they heard troubling things about his behavior when he was a Laker. Choosing to pull back on their pursuit definitely seems like the right move, if that is indeed true. It would have been nice to have another point guard, but they should be fine as they are. However, if Goran Dragic is waived by the Bulls, they could add the former all-star and member of the Heat.
Next. Updated Miami Heat depth chart after key signings. dark
That could be a nice get for Miami, who was largely quiet at the trade deadline but has been far more active in the buyout market thus far. Whether they add Dragic or not, it appears that the Heat made the decision not to pursue Westbrook based on the negative information that they received. Therefore, it seems that they dodged a bullet by not signing him.