Russell Westbrook’s future is one of the biggest mysteries that the NBA currently has to offer. The Lakers are reportedly acting as if the point guard will be back on the roster next season but there are recent reports of them shopping him in a potential trade, most notably for Malcolm Brogdon. As such, it’s difficult to call now what will happen to the former MVP during the offseason.
One of the teams that have been linked with Westbrook before is the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are looking to make moves of their own, they are currently trying to find a new Head Coach after failing to secure Kenny Atkinson. They have a bright, young roster though, and an exciting star in LaMelo Ball, who could stand to learn from one of the best.
And according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the Hornets have a very real interest in bringing Westbrook to Charlotte, something he wrote about in his analysis of how teams will approach the draft.
“The Russell Westbrook interest that Marc Stein reported months back is real. Though Westbrook makes little sense as a player next to Ball, he does have an expiring contract and the Hornets could be dropping the bag for restricted free agent Miles Bridges, plus LaMelo Ball’s extension is around the corner.”
O’Connor has acknowledged that the move has issues from a Hornets’ perspective, but it is also true that they have contracts like Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward that they can move in a potential deal.
Westbrook’s contract expires after a year as well, which would be a great way for the Hornets to free up a lot of cap space if they so desire. It remains to be seen if any move of the sort will actually materialize, but the right deal could certainly tempt the Lakers to pull the trigger and end the Westbrook experiment in Los Angeles.
