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On Saturday, Kawhi Leonard shook up the league. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN announced that Leonard would be signing with the Los Angeles Clippers and that he will bring another player with him. According to reports, Paul George will join Leonard in LA as the Clippers and Thunder reached an agreement. The Thunder will send George to the Clippers in exchange for four unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick, two pick swaps, and former Clippers Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari.
This move benefits the Clippers but places the Thunder in an interesting situation. Last year, the Thunder were a playoff team. They finished the regular season with a record of 49-33. They were the sixth seed of the Western Conference and faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. The Blazers beat the Thunder in a five-game series.
The Thunder were eliminated in the first round yet again. Paul George played through a shoulder injury, which hurt the Thunder's chances even more. The Blazers went on to the Conference Finals while the Thunder were eliminated in the first round for their third straight year. The Thunder needed to make a move but did the unexpected. They parted ways with George and find themselves in a different position.
With George gone, and the Thunder acquiring draft picks, fans have to wonder what's next. The Thunder traded one of their stars and should consider trading their other star. It is a tough decision, but it needs to happen. The Thunder should start a full-blown rebuild. Here are three reasons why the Thunder should trade Russell Westbrook.
#3 He's open to a trade
After the Thunder traded George, Westbrook's future was the topic of conversation. Westbrook is back in the position of being the leader with little to no help. This is a difficult position for any (star) player, and Westbrook deserves better. With this in mind, it is no surprise that he is open to a trade.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Westbrook is fine with the idea of Thunder general manager Sam Presti completing a trade. Teams have reached out to Presti in hopes of acquiring Westbrook. The Miami Heat, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons are interested in trading for Westbrook.
Wojnarowski also says that Westbrook is open to and likes the idea of a trade with the Heat. This gives him an opportunity to join guard/forward Jimmy Butler, who signed with the Heat in free agency. If this happens, Westbrook creates another duo with Butler.
Westbrook wants to play for a team in contention. The Heat are a potential contender with Butler, and if they land Westbrook, they can become a threat in the East. If he is open to the deal, the Thunder could make it happen.
Trading a player such as Westbrook is never an easy task. He has played for the Thunder his entire 11-year career. His open-minded attitude towards being traded makes a difficult situation easier. So, the Thunder must consider this.
#2 It is time for a rebuild
Since Kevin Durant's departure in 2016, Westbrook was the Thunder's star/franchise player. The Thunder built their roster around Westbrook in hopes of becoming a contending team.
Prior to Durant's departure, Westbrook was the team's second option. The Thunder (then known as the SuperSonics) drafted Westbrook in 2008. The two players (along with James Harden the following year) became the Thunder's core. The young combination looked promising but eventually disbanded. It started with Oklahoma City trading Harden.
In 2012, the Thunder traded Harden in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and two first-round picks. After the Thunder traded Harden, Durant and Westbrook became one of the league's best duos. Durant was the Thunder's go-to player, and Westbrook complimented him. When the duo was intact, the Thunder made it to the Conference Finals twice. They made it in 2014, where they lost to the Spurs 4-2 and in 2016 against the Warriors in a seven-game series.
That summer, Durant signed with the Warriors and Westbrook was left with the task of leading the team. He went on to become the MVP in 2016-17 and has averaged a triple-double for three consecutive seasons. Despite his historic triple-double seasons, the Thunder have not had a successful playoff run. Even with the additions of Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in 2017-18, the Thunder could not get over the hump.
With limited success (both during Durant's run and afterward) from the Thunder, it is time for a change. The Thunder are in desperate need of a rebuild.
In the Paul George trade, the Thunder acquired a young player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and several draft picks. The Thunder also acquired a 2020 first-round draft pick in a trade with the Nuggets. The Thunder parted ways with Jerami Grant.
Oklahoma City is stockpiling draft picks at this point. This is an indication of their upcoming rebuild. If the Thunder utilize their picks (and potentially trade Westbrook), they can get a fresh start and rebuild their team.
#1 His contract is too large
Westbrook's contract could potentially hinder the Thunder's rebuild.
In 2017, Westbrook signed a five-year, $205 million extension with the Thunder. At the moment, Westbrook has four years and $170 million remaining on his deal. This is a large salary for a player, especially one whose shooting percentages decreased last season. While he still averaged a triple-double and a career-high in assists and rebounds, his points dropped. His shooting struggles forced him to take a backseat, and Paul George became the Thunder's first option.
In 2019-20, Westbrook will have a base salary of $38,506,482. For a team in the Thunder's position, a large salary such as Westbrook's is a burden. Westbrook is 30 years old, and by the final year of his contract, he will be 33 years old. Then, he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2023 at the age of 34. In the final year of his contract, Westbrook has a base salary of $47,063,478. He also has a player option if he decides to opt out.
So, Westbrook's contract is expensive and makes it difficult to move him.
If the Thunder find a suitor willing to take on the contract, the Thunder gain a bit of flexibility to make moves and potentially sign young players to add to their rebuild.
The Thunder also had a large contract in Paul George. In 2018, George signed a four-year, $137 million deal. This deal was not as large as Westbrook's but put the Thunder in a tight space. They moved George and his contract and now have a chance to move Westbrook's. So, it is worth a try.
Russell Westbrook is a talented player. Despite the Thunder's up and down playoff runs, he stayed loyal to the team. But all good things come to an end. The change will benefit both Westbrook and the Thunder, and the perfect time is now. All it takes is the right deal.
