The Houston Rockets will enter the NBA offseason with the intention of building around James Harden and Russell Westbrook. That doesn’t mean teams won’t at least try making a trade happen. Could this be an option for the Los Angeles Clippers or New York Knicks?
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, the Clippers and Knicks indeed have an interest in pursuing a trade with the Rockets for Westbrook.
The appeal for the Knicks to pull off a Westbrook trade is clear. The team has failed to find a legitimate answer at the point guard position and has been out of the NBA playoffs for too long. Making a move for the one-man show that is the former MVP could solve both issues.
The Clippers are very entrenched in winning an NBA title now and need to think boldly in order to get it done. It would be difficult to pull off a trade for Westbrook without giving up one of Kawhi Leonard or Paul George.
There are some important questions to consider in this scenario. Why would the Rockets pull the plug on the duo when Harden was a key reason for bringing him to Houston in the first place? Also, why would the Rockets deal him to a Western Conference contender?
In order to solve for both potential roadblocks, the Los Angeles Clippers would need to be prepared to comfortably outcompete the New York Knicks in a potential trade. An offer for Russell Westbrook would need to simply be too good for the Houston Rockets to be able to pass up.
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