Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook has asked to be traded, and a few teams have been rumored to be interested in the nine-time NBA All-Star.
The New York Knicks are one of those teams, but it appears they don’t want to pay full price for the man who averaged a triple-double for three consecutive seasons.
“If Russell Westbrook is on the discount rack, Knicks president Leon Rose is all in, according to NBA sources,” wrote Marc Berman of the New York Post.
“With Chris Paul’s trade situation up in the air, Rose still has some interest in seeing if he can pry Westbrook from Houston, if he’s on sale, but it would seem like a long shot.
“Reports state the explosive point guard wants out. The Knicks feel they have a lot of leverage and aren’t trying to give up any key future pawns, according to sources. Their potential interest could stem from using it as a scare tactic with OKC in any Paul talks.”
Westbrook had yet another banner campaign in the 2019-20 season by averaging 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.
However, he suffered yet another disappointing postseason by losing in the second round in five games to the eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The Rockets could be on the verge of a full-blown implosion. Not only does Westbrook want out, but James Harden may possibly be moved to the Philadelphia 76ers to be reunited with former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.
The Knicks have been a pitiful franchise for most of the last two decades. Landing Westbrook without giving up a lot would, at the very least, bring back some excitement to Madison Square Garden.
