With Kawhi Leonard gone west, and the Kyrie Irving/Kevin Durant pairing not going into effect until 2020, the Eastern Conference, health permitting, will have three teams chasing its crown next season. The Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics all figure to be the titans of the East for the upcoming campaign.
Another team, though, could be added to the mix if their President - known for making big splashes - makes a big one in the coming days.
With Paul George having been traded over the weekend to the Los Angeles Clippers to join Kawhi Leonard, the Oklahoma City Thunder are thinking rebuild, and are discussing with superstar guard Russell Westbrook - according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski - trade avenues for the 8-time all star. Westbrook, entering the second year of a 5 year, $207 million deal that will pay him a shade over $171 million over the next four years, doesn't make sense to keep if you are a rebuilding team. Frankly, he should be given what he wants, given his loyalty to the Thunder franchise over the years.
Heat President Pat Riley is no stranger to high profile stars, or moves. He coached Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Los Angeles, Patrick Ewing with the New York Knicks, and of course orchestrated the signings of LeBron James and Chris Bosh for the Heat in the summer of 2010. Getting Westbrook would be a natural coup for Riley, a guy who has always sought big names to star on South Beach. Westbrook, in tandem with Jimmy Butler, would create the Eastern Conference's best one-two punch, and one that would fall behind only LA's Lebron James/Anthony Davis and Leonard/George pairings as the top duos in the league.
A potential trade, assuming draft picks would also be included, could look something like this:
To Miami:
Russell Westbrook
To Oklahoma City:
Goran Dragic
Justise Winslow
Kelly Olynyk
The Heat get Westbrook without giving up their starting shooting guard Dion Waiters, and could play Butler at Small Forward. The remaining two slots in their starting five would likely be filled by James Johnson and Myers Leonard. Johnson is a tough player with shooting and defending ability, and Leonard could play a similar role for Westbrook to what Steven Adams played in Oklahoma City. Leonard would give Westbrook a guy who can work in screen and rolls with him and also can step out and hit the three.
For Oklahoma City, they get Winslow, who at 23 years old can be their future Small Forward. Olynyk is a four man who can stretch the floor, and Dragic could be a buyout candidate or kept for next season, with newly acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder coming off of the bench. Dragic, along with Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams, would be a competitive team out west.
As far as how the Heat would match up against the conference's best teams, Westbrook would automatically become the East's best point guard. His downhill penetration to the basket would put pressure on defenses to get back in transition, and he would take the offensive scoring load off of Butler. They'd have a starting shooting guard in Waiters who can knock down shots when Westbrook collapses the defense with his penetration, and Leonard, as mentioned, is a guy who would work great in the screen and roll as well as being able to pop out and make threes. Butler could apply more of himself on defense without having to worry about preserving himself for the offensive end, which is something that they would need going up against Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Jayson Tatum of Boston.
Heat President Pat Riley is always searching for the next star for his Heat team, always wanting to be in contention, always focused on winning. In an interview this past spring with ESPN's Dan LeBatard, Riley revealed that what keeps him going, what keeps him in the game at the age of 74, is the desire to win. First round exits, like 2018 against the 76ers, and missing the playoffs this past year in Dwyane Wade's farewell season you know had to hurt him. But it motivated him to go out and get Butler, and it could motivate him to go out and get Westbrook, too.
If that happens, the Heat would be right there in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference.
Comments