The Miami Heat were being advised to look into signing Russell Westbrook before a report surfaced that he would not sign with them if LeBron James also ended up there in free agency. LeBron James has confirmed his free agency destination is the Philadelphia 76ers.
Therefore, other interested teams like the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors can continue their free agency business, which they had reportedly halted pending the 41-year-old’s decision. Turns out there reportedly could be another impediment in bringing Westbrook to Miami.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, sources close to Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra did not give him the best feedback on Russell Westbrook.
“An NBA source who has relationships with Erik Spoelstra and other coaches said that a coach that Spoelstra trusts told him that he advised the Heat not to sign Westbrook, asserting that he’s difficult to coach,” Jackson was quoted on X.
But Barry Jackson seems to have edited his report and also clarified that this information was conveyed to him in 2023 after the Jazz had waived Westbrook.
“If the Heat prefers to add a natural point guard to supplement Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith, options include Russell Westbrook, combo guard Gabe Vincent, Cam Payne and Aaron Holiday. Westbrook is by far the most accomplished playmaker still available, but the Heat has bypassed him in the past,” his report read.
“’I wouldn’t touch him in a million years,’ the scout said. ‘The way he plays, he can’t really shoot. You need a more deferential system kind of guy.’”
“Westbrook, 37, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds in 64 games (58 starts) for Sacramento last season while shooting 42.7% from the field and 33.8% on three-pointers.”
“Though he was 13th in the league in assists last season, he’s a career 30.2% three-point shooter, and it thus would be difficult to play him alongside Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and have the necessary spacing offensively.”
While recent rumors have suggested that Westbrook could be headed back to the Kings this season, the Heat need a traditional playmaker. I understand the floor spacing concerns since the Heat are currently full of players who can clog the driving lanes.
Davion Mitchell ended last season averaging 6.5 assists per game, so he can run the offense for the starters to some extent. But there isn’t a solid second playmaker on their roster for player rotations when Mitchell needs to sit down.
Hence, in my opinion, even though the floor spacing concerns and criticisms are valid, Westbrook can still be a promising veteran addition to the young Heat team who can use his experience in pivotal high-pressure moments or even be a solid locker room presence for the younger guys.
He fits a lot of roles that the Heat currently need, and thus I still hope the Heat consider signing him so he has a chance at genuine contention instead of being irrelevant in the final years of his career.
