Houston Rockets are eyeing for another star player as they could not get one in the free agency and if the latest rumors are to be believed, this next player could be Russel Westbrook whom they are trying to pair with James Harden.
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The Rockets tried their best to sign a deal with Jimmy Butler, but he went with the Miami Heat team instead. Now that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George has joined the Clippers, the other NBA teams are also rebuilding their roster.
Here are the Houston Rockets' all-time top scorers over the years.
James Harden's climb at the very end is pretty incredible! pic.twitter.com/OPwMYtxT4U
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 30, 2019
The Oklahoma City Thunder after trading George and getting two players and five future picks from the Clippers is looking to make further trades. Russel Westbrook will probably be traded out soon from the City Thunder team, and Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons are top in the race for a trade deal. At the same time, the Rockets are also trying to acquire Westbrook for their team. Here are the reasons why the Rockets wants Russel and how can a deal be done.
James Harden – Chris Paul/Russel Westbrook
The Houston Rockets already have two powerhouses in the form of James Harden and Chris Paul. Yet, they desperately need another player, because of an internal feud going in their team. As per some rumors, Harden and Paul are not talking to each other for a long time.
Gerald Green is returning to the Houston Rockets on a one-year deal, agent James Dunleavy tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2019
Since the Rockets has already re-signed Harden for a $220+ million deal, the only option left is to trade out Chris Paul. Russel Westbrook and James Harden have previously played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder and even played an NBA final for them. The two are also good friends in real life and make a great pair. Hence the Rockets wants Westbrook to replace Paul for the next NBA season.
How can the Rockets manage a Deal?
The Miami Heat also wants Russel Westbrook in their team so that they can pair him up with Jimmy Butler. The Detroit Pistons have a lot of money in their cap space, and they could also sign a deal with Westbrook. Under such circumstances, it would be very hard for the Rockets to convince Westbrook to join their team.
Despite all the problems, there is a challenging route through which the Rockets can sigh Russel Westbrook. Chirs Paul has $125 million salary left for the next three years, and Westbrook has $171 million in his deal with the City Thunder. If the Rockets can manage to trade out Eric Gordon, Clint Capela, PJ Tucker and exchange Paul with a third team, it could happen. It sounds complicated, but then again we have seen in NBA how impossible deals are made.
