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LA Lakers veteran Russell Westbrook has found himself as a popular name in trade speculation. This time, Westbrook has been connected to the Miami Heat.
Throughout the early stages of the season, Westbrook was mentioned as a potential trade candidate. That idea has cooled down as of late, due to the impressive turnaround of the 34-year-old guard.
Westbrook struggled to start the year before being moved to a sixth-man role. In his new assignment, Westbrook has started to show glimpses of the player of old. Since being demoted to the bench, Westbrook is averaging 15.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game in 28.2 minutes.
The veteran guard has become a crucial part of the Lakers' rotation as they look for a spark off the bench. With the NBA's trade deadline around the corner, the Lakers could look to be active in upgrading their roster.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Miami Heat are considered a potential landing spot for Westbrook if he's traded. Pincus reported that it would be as a potential buyout candidate if Westbrook was traded and then waived by another team.
"NBA sources have listed the Miami Heat as a potential destination for Westbrook as a post-trade buyout candidate," NBACentral tweeted.
Russell Westbrook starting to find his groove with LA Lakers
After a slow start to the season, Russell Westbrook has become a valuable piece of the LA Lakers roster. Time will tell if Westbrook will be on the roster for the rest of the season.
The Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline inches closer with each passing week. While the Lakers (11-16) have shown some glimpses of hope lately, they still may be aggressive in upgrading their roster.
Due to the franchise's lack of future trade assets, Westbrook could be one of the biggest trade chips that the team has. If the team decides to package Westbrook, they will likely also have to attach future draft picks. Westbrook is in the final year of his contract, getting paid $47 million this season.
Westbrook is averaging 14.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 7.5 apg this season. He's also shooting 40.3%, including just 28.4% from 3-point range.
The Lakers, who have lost four of their last five games, are set to take on the Denver Nuggets (16-10) on Friday night in their next game. Los Angeles began the season at 2-9 before going on an 8-2 spurt.
