James Harden is clearly unhappy in Philadelphia. After two-and-a-half seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Beard has had enough of the City of Brotherly Love. His actions over the off-season have pretty much severed his relationship with the organization. He even skipped out on practice this past Wednesday as he had to deal with a family matter. With that being said, he wants out, and the Los Angeles Clippers are his preferred destination.
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The Clippers are the only team that is in on the Harden sweepstakes, but as of right now, trade talks are at a standstill. Nevertheless, Clips fans are already discussing the implications of a potential trade. This has resulted in many wondering what will happen to Russell Westbrook when all is said and done, with one Redditor wondering if he will be relegated to a bench role once more.
Clippers fans question the implications of a James Harden trade and the impact it will have on Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook and James Harden make for a great combination. The two are childhood friends and have been teammates before, both on the OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets. As such, the two will mesh well together and are sure to work well again if reunited on the Clippers.
However, there are those who are confused about the potential trade. Taking to NBA Reddit, several fans have questioned how the dynamic would work. Suggesting a potential lineup, it consists of Harden at the one, Paul George at the two, Terence Mann on the wing, and a frontcourt duo of Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.
This would mean that Brodie would be relegated to a sixth-man role. As expected, this has led to mixed opinions. Some believe that there is no way Russ would be relegated to the bench, while others disagree.
To be fair, there are plenty of scenarios where Russ and Harden share backcourt duties. Either way, it isn’t a bad problem for the Clippers to have. But, at the end of the day, the trade needs to go through, and as things stand, it is looking rather likely.
Russ has adequate experience coming off the bench as a sixth man for the Lakers
Prior to joining the Clippers, Russell Westbrook played for the rival Los Angeles Lakers. During his time there, he was initially the team’s starting point guard. However, as time progressed and his performance deteriorated, he was relegated to the bench. But, this proved to be a boon for both Russ and the team.
Off the bench, Westbrook averaged around 15 points, five rebounds, and seven assists per game. Stats that put him in contention for the Sixth Man of the Year award.
With that in mind, the Clippers could also benefit from having Brodie come off the bench. It would be interesting to see just how things work out. But, in order for that to happen, as mentioned earlier, a trade needs to happen. Until then, Westbrook will continue as the Clips’ starting point guard.
