The Denver Nuggets appeared to be the perfect home for Russell Westbrook after the 36-year-old point guard had rough endings in previous stints on both Los Angeles franchises. This four-year stretch saw him go from a max contract to the veteran minimum, although his troubles started the moment the OKC Thunder traded him in 2019 to the Houston Rockets.
With the Nuggets, Westbrook seemed to find a role as a high-motor and productive sixth man, averaging 13.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. However, the recent firing of Michael Malone has brought about the revelation that Westbrook’s success went directly against what the Nuggets’ ownership wanted.Â
They wanted to see second-year guard Jalen Pickett get more minutes, with interim head coach David Edelman doing exactly that and featuring Pickett over Westbrook in his only game in charge so far. With Pickett thriving with the opportunity, it seems Westbrook will likely turn down the $3.4 million player option on his contract and be looking for a new team this summer.
Let’s take a look at three potential realistic destinations where Westbrook can keep his NBA career alive.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns might be the first call Russell Westbrook gets after he declines his player option in the summer. The franchise has struggled to fill out their point guard role since Chris Paul’s departure in 2023, primarily employing Devin Booker out of position and making him play at point. They added Tyus Jones for this role this season, but it wasn’t the best fit for him, given the overall struggles the Suns have had.
The Suns might be one of the few teams that could get solid production out of Westbrook at this age. They are completely devoid of assets or salary space, so they’ll be offering Westbrook a real rotational role, not out of obligation but out of necessity. They need a veteran guard like him to simplify the team’s offense and allow Booker to thrive as the two-guard instead of relying on him to set every player up.
Westbrook won’t be an efficient scorer and has bad on-ball habits that need to be controlled. But given the state his career is in and how he’s cleaned up a lot of those mistakes on the Nuggets, there’s a real chance the Suns benefit from a Westbrook acquisition in the summer.Â
With Kevin Durant expected to leave and Bradley Beal expected to not leave until his contract is up, Westbrook could just be a veteran to help keep the team together. If the Suns do pursue Michael Malone for their head coaching role in the summer, reuniting him with Westbrook seems like the obvious move.Â
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are among the only young teams in the NBA that have a genuine need for a player like Russell Westbrook. They have a clearly defined backcourt that Westbrook will never be able to get starting minutes in, as Cade Cunningham and Malik Beasley have proven their effectiveness.Â
Regardless, players like Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and Tim Hardaway Jr. will also continue vying for a starting spot alongside Cade. That’s why Westbrook is the perfect acquisition for them, as he’ll be the definite sixth man. Beasley, Ivey, Ausar, and Hardaway aren’t on-ball creators and rely on Cade’s playmaking output to be effective. The Pistons don’t have any player to replicate that when Cade has to sit.
Westbrook is the perfect addition to facilitate exactly that. A player who plays 18-20 minutes a game but is primarily used as the veteran who runs the second unit lineups. It’ll give Westbrook the freedom he wants on the court while enabling others around him to have great success.Â
The Pistons have solid veterans on their roster this season, so adding a personality like Westbrook’s might give them the perfect combination of young and old. He would be a great influence on Cunningham, in particular, provided he’s willing to selflessly help the franchise get closer to being a contender.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat seem like the perfect destination for Russell Westbrook from a temperamental perspective. Similar to how Jimmy Butler was considered perfect for ‘Heat Culture’ for all these seasons, Westbrook brings a lot of traits that an organization like the Heat values. His never-ending effort on the court and clear dedication to keeping his body in the best shape possible are already massive tick marks for the franchise.
They’re in transition right now after moving off Butler for a package of role-players in the summer. They’ll likely make additional adjustments over the summer, which could open up a spot for Westbrook to be the perfect backup guard to Tyler Herro, if not a starting backcourt partner. The team will likely give up on Terry Rozier and won’t seem comfortable being overly-reliant on the one-way shooter Duncan Robinson.
A Westbrook-Herro backcourt could work, given Herro is one of the best combo guards in the NBA right now. Even if you don’t want Russ to start, he’d succeed as a bench guard for many of the aforementioned reasons across teams. Bringing those on-court virtues to the Heat alongside his relatively seamless personality fit into the franchise’s ethos would make this a very attractive low-risk summer signing.Â
