With the Houston Rockets in a state of flux, nobody knows what this team will look like by the time they take the court next season. Their (former) head coach Mike D’Antoni, who helped make the Rockets infamous for their playstyle, decided not to return. And now, their long-time GM Daryl Morey is also out the door, announcing today that he is stepping down from his position.
By all indications, it is the end of an era in Houston and no matter what their plans are for James Harden, it seems Russell Westbrook may be the next domino to fall.
(via Marc Berman of the New York Post)
With Houston president Daryl Morey stepping down a year after his controversial retweet about China/Hong Kong, league sources believe the Rockets are likelier to look into trading away explosive All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook.
A team that has surfaced in early Westbrook trade talks? The New York Knickerbockers, who are still in the middle of a desperate pursuit for a star.
While Thunder guard Chris Paul and Indiana’s Victor Oladipo have captured Knicks president Leon Rose’s fancy, Knicks executives likely would turn some of their attention toward Texas if Westbrook is placed on the market.
In a report by Ian Begley, Westbrook himself might be open to the idea, seeing as he once viewed them as a “welcome” landing spot before hie trade from OKC.
Some agents who represent top point guard free agents believe the Knicks would poke around on a potential Russell Westbrook trade if Houston makes him available. It’s worth noting that Westbrook, per sources, saw New York as a welcome landing spot last summer when Oklahoma City was talking to teams about potential trades.
From earlier: a few draft notes: teams earlier this month believed that NYK was looking to trade up for a top 2020 pick; club is probably continuing to look into all of its options ahead of the draft; details on that & a note on NYK/Russell Westbrook here: https://t.co/s4sHfSHIqz
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 15, 2020
Needless to say, something might be in the works here between Russ and the Knicks. As the situation in Houston continues to develop, you can expect New York to do all they can to land the 9x All-Star.
