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LA Lakers superstar Russell Westbrook continues to be the subject of trade rumors as he is linked with a move to the Miami Heat. The former league MVP had a horrendous debut season with the 17-time champions and the franchise is reportedly exploring options.
According to Fox Sports' NBA analyst Ric Bucher, the latest team that has been mentioned as a possible destination for the former Oklahoma City Thunder guard is the Miami Heat. Bucher reported that given the franchise's history of nurturing fiery talents, Westbrook ending up in Miami is a real possibility.
"Team executives and scouts could only come up with one potential landing spot: the Miami Heat. Team president Pat Riley has a history of cultivating fiery competitive players, from Alonzo Mourning to Brian Grant to Jimmy Butler," Bucher wrote.
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Ric Bucher spoke about how Kyle Lowry's disappointing 2021-22 season with the Heat might prompt Pat Riley to consider trading for Westbrook.
"He hoped that point guard Kyle Lowry would be the finishing piece to another championship-caliber team last season, but after posting the best record in the East, the team lost to Boston in the conference finals. Depending on how this season goes for the Heat in general and Lowry in particular, Westbrook might be a worthwhile gamble," Bucher concluded.
Without surrendering one of their two remaining draft picks, it will be very tough for the Lakers to get Westbrook off the books. However, with Westbrook having exercised his player-option for the upcoming season, the only way the guard doesn't remain with the 17-time champions is by a trade.
Will the Miami Heat make a move for Russell Westbrook?
If the Miami Heat want to trade for Russell Westbrook, they will have to create a package around Kyle Lowry and Duncan Robinson. The former had a poor season with the Heat last year and because of the latter's defensive deficiencies, he barely featured in the postseason.
The Lakers should be interested in this trade since they were keen on Lowry two years ago. Lakers also lack perimeter shooting, so Robinson would be a good pick up for them.
Since Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent next summer, it would be a low-risk trade for Miami. It will also create cap space to sign a max-level player in the near future.
