Reports suggest that the Phoenix Suns will look into acquiring Russell Westbrook this offseason.
Advertisement
The Phoenix Suns and Russell Westbrook had 2 very differing ends to their respective Bubble experiences.
The Devin Booker Suns went 8-0(undefeated) in the Bubble. On the other hand, Russell Westbrook’s Rockets suffered 4 straight losses to get bounced out of the Playoffs by the Lakers. Though the Suns went undefeated, they did not make the Playoffs. The Suns have actually yet to make the Playoffs since drafting Booker in 2015.
The Phoenix Suns desperately need a 2nd scorer on their roster to alleviate the offensive burden off Booker’s shoulders. A report from Complex suggests the Suns may look into acquiring the 2017 MVP this offseason.
Russell Westbrook to the Suns?
There is no definitive report that has claimed Westbrook will be going to the Suns, as it was merely a report on what the Suns could possibly do.
Danny Cunningham of Complex says, “The Suns were one of the best stories in Orlando after they went 8-0 in the seeding games. If they were to add Westbrook to the mix, that ceiling climbs even higher. If he doesn’t have to do all the scoring, the Suns could become a dangerous team.”
It is well known that Booker has been the only reliable, superstar-level offensive threat the Suns have had in the past 5 year.
However, combining Westbrook’s inside game with Booker’s overall offensive arsenal, along with Deandre Ayton’s development, the Suns could be a scary sight in the West.
What would this mean for the Rockets?
Reports did surface earlier that James Harden is getting slightly tired of organizing the offense every single possession. A great acquisition for the Rockets in this trade could be elite playmaker, Ricky Rubio.
Rubio was great for the Suns this past year, averaging 8.8 assists per game. The Suns could also include promising young players such as Kelly Oubre Jr. and Mikal Bridges.
The Rockets would also be able to get off Westbrook’s massive contract. The Brody is set to earn over $41 million this upcoming season – a figure that will rise to $47 million by the final year of his supermax deal.