Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook is one of the veteran superstars who are expected to change teams in the 2022 NBA offseason. Westbrook may still be trying to help the Lakers keep their playoff hopes alive in the 2021-22 NBA season, but rumors have already started to swirl around his future in Los Angeles. With his inconsistent performance and struggle to make himself fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, most people believe that the Lakers would strongly consider trading Westbrook again this summer.
Russell Westbrook To Miami Heat
For the Lakers, they definitely won't mind sending Westbrook and his massive salary to any team as long as they won't need to sacrifice a future first-round pick in the process. However, if Westbrook would be given the opportunity to choose his next destination, Ben Stinar of Sports Illustrated believes that "The Brodie" should consider demanding a trade to the Miami Heat this summer.
"The perfect fit for Russell Westbrook would be the Miami Heat …HEAT CULTURE, surrounded by snipers who can shoot, and a place where they are about that HUSTLE AND PLAY TILL THE FINAL WHISTLE life," Stinar said on Twitter.
Russell Westbrook Linked To Heat In 2019
Though it remains unknown if the Heat have any plan of pursuing him in the 2022 NBA offseason, it wasn't the first time that they have been linked to Westbrook. In 2019, the Heat were one of the teams that had expressed a strong interest in acquiring Westbrook when he demanded a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. During that time, Heat president of basketball operations Pat Riley and Coach Erik Spoelstra were aggressive on the market, searching for star-level veteran talent whom they could pair with Jimmy Butler.
Russell Westbrook On Heat As A Possible Landing Spot
Before he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2019, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the Heat were a "potential destination that also appeals to Westbrook." Three years may have passed, but the Heat remain the same. The only thing that changed is that they have already proven that can legitimately contend for the NBA championship title.
Westbrook would definitely love the idea of being traded to the Heat this summer. Aside from having a realistic chance of capturing his Larry O'Brien Trophy, having a fresh start on a team that can maximize his full potential can help him revive his NBA career and prove to everyone in the league that he still has plenty of gas left in his tank.
Dream Trade For LA Lakers
For the Lakers, the ideal trade scenario is to send Westbrook and his massive salary to the Heat in exchange for a trade package centered on Kyle Lowry. Lowry might be three years older than Westbrook but with his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, he would be a much better fit with James and Davis on the court. Aside from being a great playmaker, he would also give the Lakers an elite perimeter defender and a decent floor spacer.
This season, the 36-year-old point guard is averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.0 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from beyond the arc.
]]>The Inquisitr
