Best Landing Spot: New York Knicks

Seeing the New York Knicks on a list like this is something that will make fans queasy. They have been down this route too many times before, acquiring the aging, declining superstar that won’t help them win games.

Getting at least one first-round pick in the swap along with Westbrook would ease the pain, but there would be some hesitancies, which is understandable. Unless they can clear future money, which would mean including Julius Randle or Evan Fournier in the swap, it would probably be a no-go from New York anyway.

Fans are likely hoping a deal for Westbrook isn’t consummated, but from his perspective, this is the best landing spot for him. Out of all of the rumored teams, New York is arguably the only one where Westbrook could be seen as an upgrade at the starting point guard position.

Despite all of his struggles with the Lakers, Westbrook is a sizable upgrade on what the New York Knicks received from Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose last season, as the two combined to play in only 63 games. Westbrook, on the other hand, was healthy throughout.

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If Westbrook could help get the New York Knicks back on track, he could set himself up for a nice payday in 2023 as a free agent. While New York likely won’t be contending this upcoming season, they present the best opportunity for Westbrook to start and put up numbers during the 2022-23 campaign.