NBA transfer news: Russell Westbrook may play for the Knicks next season
The Knicks have the salary cap space for Westbrook and have been looking for a superstar for the past two seasons.
Since the end of the Houston Rockets' season last October after losing to the eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals, Russell Westbrook has been looking for another team. According to the latest trade rumours, he may get his wish and move to the east to join the New York Knicks.
His reunion with scoring champion James Harden may not be as sweet as it seems. Both players are scoring guards and have played together for the Oklahoma City Thunders early in the last decade with less than stellar results.
They made it to the finals in 2012 with Kevin Durant, but eventually lost to the eastern big three of Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James of the Miami Heat. Both trios eventually broke up, and Durant won championships with the Golden State Warriors while Harden and Westbrook found themselves together again in the Houston Rockets.
According to Bleacher Report, the New York Knicks, a rich team looking for a superstar, is thinking about picking up the remaining $132.7 out of Westbrook's $206.8 million contract with the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets have sent out feelers for either Harden and Westbrook, but there's not a lot of interest due to the high contract value of either player.
The Knicks have the salary cap space for Westbrook and have been looking for a superstar for the past two seasons. They are being overshadowed by the newly relocated Brooklyn Nets, who now have Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant on their roster. The Brooklyn Nets moved to the Barclays Center in New York from New Jersey in 2012.
Westbrook still has $133 million and three years on his current contract with the Houston Rockets. After spending just one season, Westbrook is now actively looking for a trade, and after the Rockets' performance last season, it makes sense to break up the losing duo.
The Rockets are also looking to trade Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Charlotte Hornets are also willing to take either player. James Harden has two seasons left for the Rockets for 85 million dollars with a player option worth 47 million dollars for the 2022-2023 season.
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