The greatest offseason in sports history continues with yet another blockbuster trade. After Paul George was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell Westbrook became open to being traded as well. His preferred destination was the Miami Heat. However, Westbrook received better than what he wished for. In another shocking move, Thunder GM Sam Presti has sent Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets.
Thunder Trade: PG Russell Westbrook
Rockets Trade: PG Chris Paul, 2024 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2021 pick swap, 2025 pick swap
This trade gives the Rockets even more star power. Russell Westbrook and James Harden are reunited for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Better yet, the Rockets now have two of the last three MVPs on their roster. Harden is coming off of the best season of his career (in which he should’ve been the MVP). Westbrook is coming off his third-straight season averaging a triple-double. These guys have been two of the best in the league in the past few seasons. Now that they’re on the same roster, the league has yet another duo to fear.
Westbrook And Harden Are Very Different Players
The Houston Rockets are a systematic, analytical organization. Russell Westbrook is a passionate, uncontrollable player. For most of his career, Westbrook has just been given the ball and told to pummel the other team into submission. A lot of the time, he’s done that admirably (look at his 2016-2017 season). But, that means that he takes any shot he wants. Out of control fast break? Check. Pull-up three? Check. The ghastly mid-range? Check.
On the flip side, look at James Harden with the Rockets. Sure, he took a whopping 24.5 shots per game, but of those, he took 6.7 in the restricted area (and shot 58.8%) and 13.1 threes per game (and shot nearly 37%). Harden only attempted 1.0 mid-range shots per game. To put that in perspective, Russell Westbrook took 4.9 mid-range shots per game – good for sixth in the league. The Brodie converted those at a 31.8% clip, which lags significantly behind high-volume mid-range shooters. Former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant shot 55.9% in the mid-range. Harden takes the shots that are the most likely to get you points – either from a shooting standpoint or a free throw standpoint (11 free throws per game).
How Russ’ Arrival Impacts Houston
Both of these players are dynamic and incredibly talented. They’re both unstoppable offensive forces. Westbrook is the tireless attacker, while Harden is the meticulous breaker of defenses. Houston’s offense should be in capable hands for the majority of the games. Staggering these two stars would probably be the best option, as they’re high-usage players.
Westbrook had great chemistry with big man Steven Adams in OKC. Although he’ll definitely miss Adams’ brick wall screens, Clint Capela plays a similar role on the Rockets and can hopefully mesh with the Brodie. In OKC, Westbrook didn’t have many shooters to fall back on (last year, only really Paul George was consistent from deep). This year, he’ll have the full complement of Rockets shooters to back him up on his fearless charges at the rim. Perhaps it can finally convince Russ to stop taking unnecessary 3PTs.
On the defensive end, Houston may experience more slippage. Their top-notch 2017-18 defense regressed in 2018-19. Chris Paul was still on the team, and he’s known as a savvy defender. Westbrook is larger than Paul but employs a more “lone wolf” defensive strategy. He gambles to get steals and start fast breaks. In previous years, Russ has been able to fall back on elite defensive partners such as Andre Roberson or Paul George. Harden is much improved on defense but is still nowhere near that All-Defense talent.
Westbrook and Harden haven’t played together since the two were second and third fiddles to Kevin Durant. Both have made names for themselves since they last shared the court. Both won an MVP award. They have become polarizing players, but they’re incredible NBA players. Hopefully, they can recapture some magic together and take the Rockets one step further.
Westbrook’s Chance To Change His Legacy
Russell Westbrook is not known for being a winner. Obviously, he has his fair share of postseason woes that draw most of his criticism. That doesn’t stop him from being one of the NBA’s premier superstars. It’s his skill that captivates the attention of the fans and media. With Westbrook being sent to Houston, he now has an even better chance to cement and change his career narrative. Instead of being solely known as the triple-double king, he can be known as a key piece that brought the Rockets to NBA glory.
Westbrook has now had Kevin Durant, James Harden (twice), and Paul George at his disposal. As a teammate of all of those players, he has only one NBA Finals appearance. He has the opportunity to change that. He’s a one-time MVP who can literally do it all on the court. His right-hand man is a new and much-improved James Harden. This is a player who’s fresh off a season where he averaged a whopping 36.1 points per game. The combo of Westbrook and Harden have propelled the Rockets back (if they were ever gone) into the NBA’s elite teams.
Houston, We Have a Contender
The Rockets upgraded the PG position while retaining their roster. In two seasons with Chris Paul, Houston went 65-17 and 53-29, respectively. Those successful regular seasons were followed by a WCF defeat in 2018 and a Western Conference Semifinals defeat in 2019. Both losses were handed to Houston by the Golden State Warriors. That’s what the Rockets accomplished when Chris Paul was there. Bringing in the modern-NBA triple-double king creates even higher expectations.
Whichever way you want to look at it, the Rockets are contenders. This team has proven they’re one of the best in the NBA when fully healthy. Plugging in Westbrook for Paul makes them that much better. Despite Westbrook’s apparent shooting struggles, he can create chances offensively, play lockdown defense, and be an efficient overall PG. It’s been assumed by many that Harden and Westbrook won’t be able to play with each other.
This is because the two are arguably the most ball-dominant players in the league. Those who draw that assumption forget that these two have played together in the past. They also forget that both players can always adjust to fit the other. Will this duo be perfect? No. But, looking at the caliber of these two stars, you can’t say that the Rockets haven’t put themselves back into the championship conversation. They are two superstar MVPs in the golden years of their careers who have joined forces at the right time.
Supporting Cast
Shying away from Harden and Westbrook, they have the supporting cast around them that makes them a surefire title threat. This group includes Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, Iman Shumpert, P.J. Tucker, Nene Hilario, Gerald Green, Austin Rivers, and Kenneth Faried. For a team that has Westbrook and Harden as their top guys, this provides them with the players they need to be true contenders.
This is a core that can give Houston elite defense and high-level scoring. Above all, they can shoot efficiently from 3PT. For two players that have been the staple of the triple-double for the past few seasons, this group seems perfect for Harden and Westbrook. Houston, over the past few seasons, didn’t have problems in regards to their bench play/supporting cast. It’s been how the stars have performed.
Capela is a center who’s only going to get better as long as he has the right playmakers around him. He’s ranked in the top five in average assists for the past five seasons. That includes leading the league for the past two. Faried has also gotten better since the Rockets added him to the roster last season. There’s no doubt that he deserved more playing time overall, but if he can keep up the intensity that he brought off the bench, he’s going to be a surefire asset for this squad.
As for Gordon, Shumpert, Rivers, and Tucker, expect a large number of 3PTs. Russell Westbrook and James Harden are somehow both “ball-hogs” and elite playmakers. This means that if they can knock down their shots from behind the arc, Houston will be that much more of a threat in the West.
Wrapping It Up
The ceiling for the Rockets after this trade is obviously an NBA Championship. When you have two the of top-10 players in the NBA, you’re bound to draw high expectations. Both players being ball-dominant shouldn’t be an issue. Why? They have established chemistry. Houston won this trade solely because they didn’t have to give up too much. The Rockets are now a legit threat; not just in the West, but in the NBA. The Brodie and the Beard are back together. And, if anything is clear, it’s that they can go toe-to-toe with any dynamic duo in the league.