NBA Trades: 3 Reasons why Russell Westbrook will be a good fit for Houston Rockets

The vintage trio of Harden, Durant, and Westbrook playing together in Oklahoma is one of the biggest What-ifs of the league. Well, two of the above are set to reunite after around seven years of separation.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul, first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, pick swaps in 2021 and 2025, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2019

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Falling in line to what was a bizarre offseason of trades and acquisitions, the Oklahoma City Thunder front office decided to trade their franchise cornerstone in exchange for an aging playmaker and a brimming sack of draft picks along with flexibility for the near-to-distant future. Amongst all the trades we came across this offseason, this just might be the most shocking one of them all.

While everybody expected Russell to end his career in a Thunder jersey, the sudden exit of Paul George to LA must have set a chain of events in motion. As a result, Stephen Curry now the longest-tenured player with one team in the NBA.

Now that we have such a tectonic shift at hand, let's go through the possibilities that suggest a smooth handoff down in Houston.

#1 Brodie will enjoy some much-needed space at the perimeter

Westbrook is a career 30% shooter from the three-point line.

When it comes to long-range shooting, it is no secret that the 2017 MVP hasn't experienced the type of space Harden has in Houston. With the Rockets housing three-point threats like Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Patrick Beverley, Chandler Parsons, Gerald Green, Jason Terry, P.J. Tucker, Paul in the past, there certainly is no comparison as to which team could space the floor more efficiently.

Brodie's three-point percentage last year (29% on over 5.6 three-point shots per game) was the worst since his sophomore season. While Westbrook is known to frequently shoot reflexive threes - which often hurts his conversion rate from deep - there will a considerable uptick in the margin and accuracy for his instincts while playing with the Rockets.

#2 The Rockets now possess two former MVPs that complement each other's game fairly well

Two former MVPs sharing the court in Houston

This past season, Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the third straight year. Despite being competent enough to average over 30+ throughout a season, he took the role of the facilitator with George as he soared with MVP numbers in what turned out to be his last season with the Thunder.

In the process, Westbrook ended up with numbers like 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game across the 73 games he played. He exhibited the ability to efficiently play alongside an offensive beast by taking a half-step back, and that is just what he needs to replicate in Houston as well.

For obvious reasons, Coach D'Antoni will run the bulk of offense through James, with Russell as the favored secondary option. Westbrook can then play his natural game which comprises of active defense - averaged 1.9 steals per game in 2018-19 - and explosive offense with a superhuman ability to get to the rim, without the added pressure of being the focal point of their offensive schemes.

#3 His dynamic athleticism will sit well with the Harden-led side

Adding an eight-time All-Star to the roster seldom hurts.

Westbrook's combustible first step and thunderous slams will provide some much-awaited flair to the high volume three-point shooting team. His court vision, ability to penetrate through defensive lanes and finish strongly at the rim can never go unnoticed even in a game where his shots are not falling.

Unlike a majority of Harden's teammates - who rely on standstill three-pointers while he collapses the defense on himself - the Rockets will always have an experienced hand in Westbrook running the court when Harden's at the bench during this upcoming season.

Russell's quick first step will alleviate a mammoth load off Harden's shoulders to generate isolation offense on a nightly basis as well. The superstar pairing packs the potential to be the difference-maker for the ailing Rockets franchise who have long been cursed by repeated no-shows in the playoffs - mainly falling to the Warriors.