Report: The Charlotte Hornets Are One Of Two Organizations To Be Interested In Trading For Russell Westbrook.

The Houston Rockets have experienced a barrage of unsatisfied players complaining about their role on the team. From Russell Westbrook not appreciating his role or culture that Houston exhibits to PJ Tucker feeling frustrated about his contract situation, Houston faces a situation where most of the roster could be traded before the NBA trade deadline. With Westbrook wanting a role where he can be the primary floor general, the Charlotte Hornets have emerged as the new front-runner of receiving the former MVP, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. 

This headline is rather intriguing as there seems to be a common belief that low-seeded teams are more likely to attain Westbrook than a contending team other than the Los Angeles Clippers. While the Clippers should precautions and assess their situation before making a decision of trading for Westbrook, organizations such as the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets should take advantage of attaining an All-Star. However, unlike New York, the Charlotte Hornets possess Michael Jordan, the general manager of the franchise. For years, Jordan has stated how much he respects and admires Westbrook as he is the most “loyal” and similar to the Hall of Famer. The only issue is that the Hornets lack many assets to fulfill their potential goal of trading for Westbrook. While the Knicks have arguably more assets to trade, the Hornets best offer would be Terry Rozier, Cody Zeller, Malik Monk, a 2021 unprotected first-round pick and two future second-round picks in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Another option they could explore is simply trading away Rozier and the third pick of this year’s draft in exchange for Russell Westbrook as the Rockets would attain a solid point guard in addition to a top prospect. Although Westbrook is one of the best players in the NBA, his trade value is scarce when factoring in his playoff history and lack of ability to contribute meaningful statistics when mattered the most. Virtually every playoff game he has ever played has led to mediocre statistics and overall play. 

The Hornets are far from making a playoff push hence why the argument of trading more draft picks or young talent is valid in this scenario compared to a contending team like the Clippers. To attain one of the best point guards in the NBA while being a lottery team, the organization, in most cases, would have to overpay compared to a regular playoff team such as the Indiana Pacers. Trading for Westbrook would steer the Hornets into a playoff contender while bringing relevancy to the city of Charlotte and their loyal fans. If Charlotte is sincerely interested in trading for the former MVP, that would only entail that they would most likely have to overpay. However, Westbrook’s trade value should be viewed much lower, especially when factoring in his flaws on the court. When deciding, the Hornets need to assess if trading away their third pick in this year’s draft is worth a 32-year old Russell Westbrook who is earning 41 million dollars a season!