Nearly immediately following Kevin Durant’s announcement that he would be leavint the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, rumors began to swirl that Russell Westbrook would be the next guy to follow Durant out the door. The only problem is that Westbrook is due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and there’s no reason for him to sign an extension now, since he’ll be able to earn a lot more money next summer when the salary cap expands.
Advertisement
Beck cites Presti’s willingness to trade assets such as Reggie Jackson and Serge Ibaka as previous instances where the Thunder were aggressive in dealing players before their contracts expired.
What I’m hearing here in Las Vegas from some GMs is that, not only do they think that Westbrook will get traded, that it will be sooner than later – probably before the season starts – and that the most likely destination right now would be the Boston Celtics.
“Anyone who has been following the National Basketball Association the last couple of years, Boston has been loading up on assets, including those great picks from the Brooklyn Nets”. Because they have so many draft picks, the Celtics could offer a nice package for Westbrook without giving up key players.
Adding Westbrook to the Celtics would instantly allow them to challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East. The one hitch though is if Westbrook would agree to re-sign in Boston.
Of course, just about every team who’s looking for a star will be interested in the Thunder’s electric dynamo of a superstar.
Sports Illustrated suggested that the Boston Celtics can be a good destination for Westbrook, after the Eastern Conference team already tried to acquire the services of Durant earlier in the summer.
“The Lakers think they can sign him”, Broussard said. Ainge has also reportedly been engaged in trade talks with the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler and the Philadelphia 76ers for Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel. No consensus has developed among league insiders on the 26 year old’s plans in the wake of Durant’s departure, but Beck notes there is a “very strong suspicion” from front office higher-ups across the National Basketball Association that he’ll leave the Thunder a year from now.
Advertisement
The Thunder has yet to make its first move since losing Kevin Durant in free agency, and the basketball world is waiting and wondering what Oklahoma City will do next. Anything could happen. To wit: Who even imagined Oklahoma City could be facing this predicament when the offseason started?
