The Dallas Mavericks have looked in trouble this season. Luka Doncic is playing like an MVP, but his team is losing more than they should. Kristaps Porzingis has been injured this season which is a legitimate excuse, but Dallas have looked in shambles. They need to get Luka help with the ball-handling duties and allow him to play off the ball more.
Russell Westbrook is one of the best point guards over the past decade, and even with his down season with the lowly Wizards, he brings a different level of talent to the Mavericks. With Washington probably looking for a roster shakeup after holding the worst record in the East, here is the blockbuster deal that will send former MVP Russell Westbrook to Dallas.
Trade Package: Josh Richardson, Jalen Brunson, Dwight Powell, James Johnson, a future first-round round pick, 2021 second-round pick for Russell Westbrook
Dallas Mavericks Big Three
The Mavericks aren’t too good right now. They hold an 8-13 record and have zero bright spots beyond Luka Doncic doing everything for them. Porzingis has been unavailable and the team has serious problems getting stops on one end and especially putting pressure on the defense on the other. Russell Westbrook is having a down year with his shooting, but he is still an impact player.
Westbrook is averaging 20.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 9.5 APG despite shooting only 40.7% from the field. Westbrook has looked inefficient, as he is known to be, but he is a consistent force with the ball in his hands. Right now, defenses can double down on Luka which halts the Mavericks offense.
With Westbrook, Dallas can play up-tempo and get Luka looks by getting him off screens. Luka is only shooting 29.4 % from three because he just can’t get easy looks. As out of control that Westbrook can be, he is an excellent playmaker and he will be a force when Porzingis returns for Dallas.
For years in Oklahoma City, Westbrook found a perfect big man in the pick n roll with Steven Adams who isn’t much of an offensive threat to begin with. A pick n roll with Westbrook and Porzingis is very deadly since Porzingis can shoot from anywhere and score inside better than Adams. Doncic needs help, and Westbrook can create an entire offense on his own with a dominant partnership with Kristaps Porzingis.
The Washington Wizards Are The Worst Team In The East, And It’s Time To Rebuild
The Wizards had a ton of promise entering this new NBA season. Bradley Beal was fresh off a career year and they swapped aging point guard John Wall for a superstar in Russell Westbrook. Thomas Bryant is a beast inside and they retained Davis Bertans with a monster deal. The Wizards were supposed to be one of the 6 best teams in the East. But Bryant went out early in the season with injury, and the entire Wizards team cannot defend their own shadows.
With Bradley Beal once again playing like a top-3 scorer in the game, the Wizards feel that they will be losing their franchise star. By moving Westbrook and acquiring picks and players, they are beginning a rebuilding process. Westbrook is a monster athlete but he hasn’t performed well next to Beal or anyone else for that matter (barring Westbrook’s insane game-winner against the Nets 2 nights ago). Cashing in on Westbrook for Powell and Richardson along with picks signals a time to rebuild and cash in on Beal next.
Washington won’t be going anywhere with Beal and Westbrook, and it is time to blow it up. The Wizards should be applauded for making a blockbuster deal this off-season to swap point guards with the Rockets, but it is time to move on and deal Russell Westbrook to the Dallas Mavericks.
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