Could the Los Angeles Lakers pick up Russell Westbrook?
Why the Trade works for the Houston Rockets
- Mike D’Antoni has just left the Houston Rockets.
- Micro Ball has been exposed by the Los Angeles Lakers.
- The James Harden and Russell Westbrook tandem has failed spectacularly.
- You are paying a premium to be a 2nd round team.
- The Rockets owner is known to be a penny pincher.
Take your pick.
The Houston Rockets are in the worst kind of situation right now. They have very little room to get better, no picks to use as draft assets and Westbrook’s huge contract that will stop them from ever-improving their team for the next 3 seasons.
What the Los Angeles Lakers are offering the Houston Rockets is a lifeline.
Yes, the purple and gold are undercutting the Rockets by offering them players who are good but unspectacular but there are 2 reasons why the deal should be perfect for the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets land players who actually fit with what The Rockets want to do.
Danny Green is a 3-point shooter who can play both small forward and shooting guard and is a great defender.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope can play 1 through 3 and is a good 3-point shooter and defender.
Rajon Rondo is still a good playmaker who won’t take the ball out of James Harden’s hands and has shown the world that playoff Rondo is real.
JaVale McGee gives the Houston Rockets something they don’t have. OPTIONS!.
The Rockets bought so heavily into micro ball that they didn’t give themselves a plan B in case it didn’t work. Surem they had Tyson Chandler to play minutes if need be but at this stage of his career, Chandler is nowhere close to being a starter.
With McGee, they at least have a player who is capable of playing starting minutes and who allows for them to deviate from the plan if it isn’t working. That alone is very valuable to the Rockets.
While the above players fit perfectly with what the Rockets want to do. The next point is the exact reason why the Rockets would do the deal.
Every single player mentioned above is a free agent in 2021.
Meaning that the Rockets will be completely free of Russell Westbrook and his $132,633,438 over the next 3 years.
Music to Tilman Fertitta’s ears.
He gets to save money and rid himself of a huge headache? Where does he sign!