The Thunder have asked the Heat for more than one of Miami’s most promising young players in their trade discussions for Russell Westbrook, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
According to Jackson, Oklahoma City is seeking the inclusion of 2019 lottery pick Tyler Herro in a Westbrook deal, but the Heat have been “very resistant” to the idea of trading away the former Kentucky sharpshooter. The 13th overall pick, who is averaging 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.8 APG in six Summer League games, has exceeded Miami’s expectations so far, a source tells Jackson.
After signing Herro on Wednesday, the Heat can’t include him in a trade for 30 days, but that isn’t expected to be an impediment if the two sides ultimately reach an agreement that includes him.
Jackson also hears that the Thunder have sought at least two players from the trio of Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Justise Winslow. That idea doesn’t appeal to the Heat, who are also high on Adebayo and opposed to dealing him.
As a result of the Thunder’s demands, the Westbrook trade discussions between the two teams are at a stalemate for the time being, despite the fact that Miami would love to add the star point guard, says Jackson.
While Herro’s status may not be a roadblock, there are a number of other obstacles that the two teams must overcome. The Thunder don’t want to take on additional salary, since they’d prefer to dip under the tax line rather than increase their projected bill. However, the Heat almost literally can’t take on any more salary, since they’re less than $1MM away from their $138.9MM hard cap.
Additionally, having already traded away their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks – which the Thunder now hold – the Heat don’t have first-rounders available to include in a Westbrook offer, which is why OKC is seeking multiple young players in a package instead, Jackson notes.
Miami could theoretically remove the lottery protections on the ’23 pick, which would subsequently allow the team to trade its 2025 or 2026 first-rounder as well. However, those are all fairly distant selections, and Oklahoma City may prioritize players and picks that can help the team within the next few years.
Even if the two teams could directly match salaries and the Thunder are fine with not acquiring draft picks, it’s not clear if they’ll see eye-to-eye on Westbrook’s value. Due to the $171MM owed to the former MVP over the next four years, Miami would prefer to just send out players whose contracts would help expedite a deal, many of whom likely don’t have a long-term future with the Heat, says Jackson.
On the other hand, the Thunder believe they deserve more compensation for a player with Westbrook’s track record — he won his MVP award just two years ago, rarely misses time due to injuries, and has averaged a triple-double in each of the last three seasons.
If no other serious suitors emerge for Westbrook, the Heat might “dig in further” when it comes to hanging onto their top young prospects, says Jackson.
If the Thunder can just trade Westbrook without giving up assets and gets cap relief in future seasons, they should do it.
They absolutely shouldn’t. RW is still a draw. I’m sure they would rather move Adams and every other player of note and keep RW for drawing purposes rather than commence a rebuild and get no assets from the Heat to help with the rebuild. They can always hold on to RW until next season where there’s no one really big on the market and teams have cap space. Next offseason has Draymond and AD as the two biggest names and both seem destined to return back to their current teams. RW doesn’t seem disgruntled with the team but with no PG it makes sense to at least discuss what he would like to do. I’m sure RW would give them more time, especially if he can get to the team he wants without forcing a trade before the season starts.
Didn’t all this trade talk start with reports of Wilson asking for a trade? I believe that’s the definition of being disgruntled.
He didn’t ask for a trade.
Russel didn’t ask for a trade, the team offered to trade him since they had to trade Paul George.
Just because someone asks for a trade doesn’t mean you have to trade them, especially when they have 3 years on their contract. Just because they may not have a real chance at a championship doesn’t mean he as any right to be disgruntled when they paying him 38mil a year for next 3 years. You signed the contract, honor it.
He didn’t ask for a trade, he simply said he would be OK with the Thunder looking at trade options.
@tom No. Once they moved PG and trade Green in a salary dump management went to Wilson to discuss the future of the team. Keep in mind, they just signed PG13 to an extension with hopes of OKC contending for a title. My guess is, as a sign of respect, they went to Wilson to say “hey, this is where we are with things. Do you want to stay or would you like us to try and move you somewhere you’d like to playout the remaining years of your contract?”. I’m sure OKC would like to get from under his contract seeing how difficult it is to bring talent in via FA. Keep in mind, no one, not even PG, expected him to stay in OKC after he became a FA. Knowing that PG would be hard to replace means the team likely would struggle w/ Wilson as the only legit star so it’s either pay Wilson and maybe be an 8th seed at best or clear the books (Adams would likely be moved too) and be lean and rebuild.
However, I do think Wilson will be patient enough to try and let OKC find the best deal as opposed to putting a gun to their heads thus giving them zero leverage. My guess is, if a good deal with a contending team isn’t here now then wait until the date comes around that allows teams to trade recently signed FA. I can see the Knicks (involving Randle and some of those 1/1 vets signed to be players), I don’t see an easy fit but maybe a 3 team trade involving GSW and D’Angelo Russell’s contract. Maybe Gasol to GSW, Russell to OKC and Westbrook to Toronto? Just an example. But once the moratorium passes that allows 2019 FA to be moved then I think it’ll open up a boatload of interesting possibilities, especially with teams that THOUGHT they might compete but aren’t.
Who is Wilson??
Sorry, meant Westbrook. Was listening to ESPN about Russell Wilson and it stuck in my head.
LOL me too
I tend to think it happened the other way around behind closed doors, that Westbrook saw the writing on the wall and asked for a trade. It might be being framed differently to save face AND give the Thunder some leverage in trade talks…”Hey, this guy doesn’t want to be traded” instead of…”He’s a malcontent and needs to be moved”.
Either way, it’s going to be difficult to trade him. Super talented player, but owed a ton of money, and it seems like very few want to actually play alongside him. He’s like LeBron James…but can’t get you the rings.
@tom Can that still be he narrative? That guys don’t want to play with LBJ? Maybe super duper stars that may not want to share the spotlight but that’s what, 5% of the league maybe? AD, Love and a bunch of mid-tier to role players suggest otherwise. Guys have come to Cle, Miami and now LA to play for the minimum or something less than market value. But, who really knows.
@tom And I’m not really a “LBJ fan”. I just appreciate his resume and have come to really question narratives of late.
I guess you missed the part where I implied people want to play with Lebron because he was able to get them rings (unlike Westbrook). I’m not saying players will refuse to play on teams with Lebron, it’s just he’s probably a difficult teammate to get along with because everything is about him, and players have to be concerned about him deciding to leave…because when he does the team is in shambles.
They got assets back in the George trade to help rebuilding. RW has netrual trade value at best. Unless they are willing to pay taxes for 2 more years to get picks back in RW trade, they are not getting many assets back other than expiring contracts back. The sooner he’s traded the better the Thunder’s pick will be, although I don’t know whether they have their own picks this year.
I kinda feel like RW doesn’t make players around him better. Oladipo has a breakout year after he left, George has a breakout year and then leaves. Throw in KD’s departure, RW probably isn’t as good as the stat sheets shows. The above is just speculation is please don’t take it very seriously.
Westbrook will have much better value in December as well as more suiters.
Will he really have better value? Who is going to give OKC cap relief AND assets? Plus he has mild injury risks. It won’t hurt much other than picking a few picks later, but it probably wouldn’t help, either.
@rewane Once they wait until the date comes where teams can trade recently signed FA or injuries happen, etc there will be more teams to trade with one on one or maybe to facilitate 3 team trades. By December teams will have an idea of what kind of team they have and there WILL be buyers and sellers.
So pistons aren’t interested, at least not yet , the heat are thinking about it , let’s see here what other teams might be willing to do a deal , the bucks ? They got picks but not really any large expiring deals , I mean would they take , Bledsoe , dj wilson and picks ? The wolves need a pg , but I hear the thunder don’t want Wiggins , the bulls ?they just drafted Coby white . The hornets have expiring deals but they are going no where , knicks ? They could make a deal perhaps. Otherwise I don’t see any realistic places to get him
Wolves could add picks or young players to sweeten a deal with Wiggins. There are lots of options and time, wait till the season gets going and Thunder will have a lot more options. A deal this summer only benifits the Heat.
This ain’t happening with just Miami and OKC. Makes no sense for the Thunder. The only expiring salary the Heat have to send is Dragic, and he’s only half of Westbrook’s number. The rest are all at least 2 years. And it barely makes sense for Miami. They can’t do it with less than 3 players going out (Dragic, Johnson, Adebayo works, but no other combo I can think of if OKC doesn’t want to take more back than they’re giving). That would leave Miami with 11 players, 6 of which have never played real NBA minutes. And no way, at all, to add more, since they’d be at the hard cap again.
Somehow they need to pull in a third team to take someone worth taking (that’s probably not Dragic, but maybe Winslow). Mavs have a huge trade exception. That could just work. Or maybe JR Smith’s contract is involved in this. But either way, Heat are gonna end up with 11-12 players and I don’t know if that’s possible or legal.
Third team definitely necessary, perhaps even where draft picks are concerned. Could it make sense for MIA to remove those 2023 lottery protections and for that pick and the Heat’s more distant 2025 or 2026 first rounder go to a third team for one or two of that team’s more immediate picks?
OKC could net a first and a second that way but sooner, possibly from a playoff contender hedging against future losses or anticipating the possible need to retool their own roster in 2023, 2025, or 2026.
This doesn’t at all make sense to me OKC is deploying a negotiating tactic…
There not going to be competitive immediately and they know it…They need to accumulate as many picks as possible what are they planning on competing in 2022? LOL They are going to have a roster of young guys in year 1-2 at that point.
The 2023 unprotected pick actually probably has the most value to them. They could potentially have a good stable of young players and who knows maybe a good lottery pick if the heat blow up. Add in a 2025 pick to help supplement those young players when they are already competitive either adds to your stock of picks to trade or allows you to have more picks to help…
Heat are spot on in trade talks OKC is singing a prayer
@seamaholic and @agentx
I’ve proposed this elsewhere. Some thought I was crazy but I think it serves everyone’s purpose.
-Heat: Westbrook and Zizic from Cleveland.
-Cleveland- Adams from OKC and Olynyk and Adebayo from Miami. Olynyk has to swear in writing not to try and Yank out Kevin Love’s arm in practice.
-OKC get’s expiring and partially guaranteed contracts of Thompson, Smith and Clarkson and recently drafted Kevin Porter JR. Miami sends them Waiters, Maten and recently drafted Herro and Kpala.
**ESPN’s trade machine approved it a few days ago but won’t allow me to use Herro’s salary at the moment but his contract matches what’s needed to keep them under the hard cap.
Cavs get a quasi rim protector they need in Adams and replace Thompson’s rebounding. They can groom Adebayo as their center of the future.
OKC moves the remaining years of Adams and RW while only taking on 1 extra year of Waiter’s contract. The rest of the non-rookie contracts are expiring ones with about $31 of cap space in 2019. They waive Smith and save $10 mil of cap space immediately. They get 3 players taken in the 2019 draft to go alongside what they received from the Clippers for PG. An almost instant replenishing of new incoming talent. They should have zero problems trading Thompson and Clarkson now or by the deadline for assets as well.
Miami get the guy they want without moving core pieces. Olynyk is replaceable. Waiters can be replaced by Dragic. They stay under the hard cap.
Again…the Heat are hardcsaqpped and cant take back equal or more money than they send out. The trade machine doesnt account for hard cap. Also, they wouldnt have enough players or ability to fill out the roster to 14, which is mandatory
@formerlyz Ok. Take out Zizic coming in and include Leonard going out.
-Miami gets Westrook ($38.5)
-OKC gets Thompson, Smith, Clarkson and Porter Jr from Cleveland and Waiters, Leonard, Maten, Okpala and Herro from Miami.
-Cleveland gets Adams from OKC and Olynyk and Adebayo from Miami.
OKC takes in $76 mil ($66 mil guaranteed) of which $42 is in expiring contracts and about $23 mil of non-rookie salary that carries into 2020 (last year of Waiter’s and Leonard’s contracts). They send out $64 mil of 2019 salary and wipe an additional $158 mil in future salary from 2020 on.
Miami takes in Russ’s 2019 $38.5 salary but sends out $45.5 in contracts. They’ll be well under the hard cap at that point with 11 players under contract and the entire summer to find 3 minimum salary players to round the roster. However, they’ll have…
RW/Butler/Dragic/Winslow/Richardson/Johnson in the lineup and they have to find a couple of minimum salary bigs to round it out or trade some of the surplus to round out the team.
Problem solved or no?
I would way rather trade draft picks than the young players we already have that have played. No Bam, no Winslow, no Derrick Jones. Herro is ok if necessary, but they could easily trade them multiple picks, and remove protections, and rights to swap in certain years instead of giving up those guys
Also that trade makes no sense from the Cavs perspective
@formerlyz It makes perfect sense. Cavs need a rim protector. Adams can do that. The Cavs highest block average was Nance with a 0.6 pg. Even assuming he plays more next year his per 36 is 0.8.
Cavs are not contending next year but they need to try and at least field a decent team that would allow the young guys to grow with SOME semblance of competitiveness, especially since Thompson is in his last year and Love, while a great rebounder, doesn’t protect the rim and might miss time again on injuries.
I should’ve listed the Cavs should get some sort of pick compensation from OKC for taking on Adams salary and from the Heat for carrying the load and facilitating this deal. 2nd round picks or protected 1st rounders would work.
Not sure why the Spurs aren’t in on this. Pop could actually teach Russ how to be a great basketball player instead of a great athlete playing basketball.
The beat OKC is going to do is trying to place one of Dragic and Winslow with a third team. And, if that player is Dragic it’s going to cost them a pick of two considering the massive savings they’re seeking to extract.
There’s exactly one team with a traded player exception big enough to absorb Dragic, and that’s the Mavs who would have zero interest in him. Dragic makes way too much for a mid-level exception and nobody in the whole league has cap room anymore. So Dragic has to go to OKC (and they wouldn’t mind that, since he’s expiring). It’s Winslow or Olynyk that could well be headed to a 3rd team.
The Mavs actually don’t have a TPE big enough for Dragic anymore, since they used almost half of it on Wright. (The remainder is still big enough to acquire Meyers Leonard, but not any of Miami’s higher-paid players.)
A team will become despreit.
Russ, Roberson and the Heat 2021 1st for Dragic, Johnson, Winslow and Herro. Heat get a pick back to dangle in trades and still get to keep Bam and quality bench pieces like Olynyk and Waiters
Then see if Cuban still wants Dragic with all that cap space left, that can get OKC under the tax
Not a lot of incentive there for OKC, unless they REALLY love Herro.
the incentive is to get Russ’s $40M off the books next year and the Heat are the only team to have enough expiring contracts to match up with Russ and make a trade work, throw in one of those five 1st rd picks u got from the PG trade to entice Riley to take on Russ’s awful contract but while ur at it get Herro and take a chance on Winslow
Cav’s have $82 mil in expiring contracts, not including Cedi Osman who I imagine they attempt to extend. I see the Cavs as the NBA bank for teams that need to be creative. Just a matter of is their GM smart enough to actually do something with it.
I’m surprised the Knicks and the Charlotte haven’t gone after Westbrook. Knicks BADLY need a STAR who can carry them to the playoffs. Charlotte will certainly level up with Westbrook. And isn’t he supposed to be one of Jordan’s boys?
Charlotte’s recent acquisition of Rozier and their decision to let Kemba walk rather than paying him the super-max make a Hornets-Thunder trade highly unlikely, in my opinion.
IMO, as good as Kemba is, RW has a more colorful personality, has a more exciting (at times excruciating) game & appeals to more fans. If Charlotte won’t flip Rozier for RW, I think the 2 of them would make an explosive backcourt duo. RW is natural scoring guard, a volume shooter. Rozier is more of a true PG who plays hard nosed defense. I think Rozier wouldn’t mind sharing the backcourt with RW and deferring to him. Rozier-Westbook could be just as explosive as Portland’s dynamic duo in the backcourt.
If Charlotte didn’t want to give Kemba a max and are so worried about going into the lux tax then I don’t think they would take on RW, even though he’s at least a better bx office draw than Kemba. From Knicks perspective, they don’t have an aggregate of trade-able contracts they could match salary with and I don’t think they have enough cap space to absorb Westbrook’s 2019 salary. Knicks would have to wait until later in the year when the rules allow them to trade recently signed FA. Even then I think Randle would likely have to be included.
OKC shouldn’t have any issue with waiting for a better deal in December.
@whoneedsfacts I agree. It seems that OKC and Westbrook have a good enough relationship that he would likely give them a chance to figure out the best deal for both teams. If so, waiting until the moratorium to pass that allows recently signed FA’s to be traded would be a better choice because more teams can then get involved. Next year’s FA crop isn’t anywhere close to what we saw this year so holding off until the trade deadline makes a ton of sense.
That’s what I’m saying. Only people acting like OKC is in a dier position are hopeful Miami fans wanting something for nothing. If Miami plays hardball they will lose their chance, and Jimmy Butler isn’t going to turn that team into contenders.
@whonnedsfacts As long as Westbrook isn’t putting a gun to OKC’s head then they should wait until the Heat gives them what they want or until teams can trade recently signed FA. Shoot…even IF Westbrook pushed for a trade asap they can still tell him to kick rocks and wait. Not like they have aspirations to compete this year and Westbrook would do NOTING but make himself look even worse than the public’s perception of him already. I think he’s smart enough to be patient. If he feels he can end up on a real contender by Feb 2020 then I think he’ll be happy with that.
If the Knicks want to appease the fans & save what has so far been a disappointing free agency season for them & they want A STAR on the marquee (it’s NEW YORK after all, not just any other city; it’s NEW YORK with all the glitz & glamour & sports history) they have to move heaven & earth to acquire Westbrook.
@archieM Knicks can’t do anything at all until the moratorium about trading recently signed FA passes. They simply don’t have any other players (not recently signed) they can use to match Westbrook’s $38 mil and they have no cap space right now.
I hope someone already said this but if you add up the entire knicks tradeable players … it doesn’t match Westbrooks cap number. The knicks literally could not trade for westbrook for 6 months.
The Heat are worried about giving up a mid-round rookie performing well in his first summer league for an MVP who averages a triple double per season and is under contract for like 4 years? Who reports this stuff??
If im heat id trade bam and winslow dragic Olynyk and whoever else to match salaries and take on russell and adams.
Westbrook
Herro
Jimmy
Meyers
Adams
Solid team.
Russ and Adams are over $60m. Miami would have to trade five guys. They wouldn’t have a team left.
I would send out whatever needs to be done to match salaries this year. I would never give them a truly valuable asset for taking back that contract. Russ is hugely diminished. He looked like a different player last year.
I would never give them Herro. NEVER.
Let me guess your a huge Miami fan?
Nope.
@JonnyLucas If the Heat are after Westbrook and the remaining 3/$130 due AFTER this upcoming season then do you REALLY think that Riley, who we all see as an intelligent GM, sees Russ as a “hugely diminished” player?
I love how we all say that Russ’s contract is sooooo bad and that teams would be doing a “favor” to accept that contract for expiring contracts, and even some suggest OKC sending picks, and completely ignoring that the Heat would be taking on 3/$130 left on his contract. The narrative doesn’t match up with logical reality.
This is baseball where the Ranger’s traded Arod to the Yanks along with $60 mil in cash to defer his future salary. I get it, Russ is a flawed and very polarizing player but if we respect Pat Riley then let’s agree that he wouldn’t pursue a player at age 30, owed $130 mil AFTER 2020 and is “quote” a ball hog, selfish player who’s regressing. If so, why would Riley even entertain that trade? I could see, maybe the Cavs for Love or TWolves for Wiggins, or Houston for Paul with the idea being that ” their crap (Westbrook) has more upside than my crap” and you try and make lemons out of lemonade. However, if a team is using EXPIRING CONTRACTS to get Russ then 2019-20 might be a wash but from 2020 on it’s 0 salary cap for OKC and the receiving team is on the hook for an additional $130 mil. So stop the silly narrative or Riley isn’t as smart as we all know him to be,
Riley is already denying two prized young players or firsts for Russ. That is the narrative. Maybe he would go 1.5 with Winslow & Okpala but going back in time to when the buyers had money is not an option.
This is where the Cavs should come in. But Altman may not have the necessary approval to proceed on a deal that is complicated.
Riley waited out Butler and got him in free agency; I think he will wait on Russ too.
@x%sure Not sure what you mean about going back in time when ppl had money. Riley is posturing. It makes sense to hold on to rookies when you’re over the cap and not contending but signing Butler who’s about to turn 30 means they should be in “win now” mode. Add to the fact there’s a dearth of superstar talent available in next year’s FA class that we expect to change teams doesn’t help. Riley knows that having a bunch of decent players is good. Having multiple legit stars is way better. If he’s willing to be on the hook for 3/$130 of RW’s contract past this year and Butler’s 4/$140 mil then I think he would be a nut job to let this deal fail because he refuses to let go of Herro AND Okpala. If you want to argue about Bam because you traded Whiteside, then perhaps they sub him out but Herro and Okpala should be on the table, otherwise Jimmy Butler should be pissed.
By “going back in time to when buyers had money” I mean Russ’s price has fallen due to lack of buyers and the option of trading him into capspace. His value may be the same but Miami will not bid against themselves. Riley was impatient in previous signings and it has tied him up. They can wait– waiting worked with Butler.
So far Okpala is not part of the discussion… perhaps OKC does not value him… I was just speculating with Okpala and calling him half a good young player haha.
Right now they want 2 of Winslow, Herro & Bam (plus salary) and Riley said no; that is where we are at; Riley is okay with this.
He has to consider how Butler reacts too… not to mention Russ.
@x%sure I think Russ and Butler will get along fine. What was the problem Butler had with Wiggins and KAT? His opinion that they had no heart, weren’t passionate and had no motor, things Russ has in abundance. I think guys cut from that kind of cloth respect each other. It would be amazing to see what that team can be, maybe not in 2019 if he’s traded, but in 2020 when Riley can build the team out more. I wouldn’t be shocked if that team started to resemble the Knicks of the 90s with much more skill and centered around the backcourt and wings as opposed to the trio of Ewing/Oak/Mason of those 90s Knicks.
@KnicksFanCavsFan how dare you bring logic into this debate. Your absolutely 100% correct that the Heat wouldn’t want Westbrook if not for the fact that he is the most talented player avalible and the only chance Miami has of being a contender.
Heat should not bid against themselves. There are only a few teams for whom RW will make sense at this point. No rebuilding team. If any rebuilding team should want him it’s OKC.
With a number of hard capped teams still looking to upgrade, and some teams already in the tax or on the cusp of it, a smart rebuilding team might value cap space right now. The Heat and OKC won’t be the last duo to need one. Would be smart for the Knicks to forget about Morris, and see if they can “help” here.
That contract is not an asset, it’s a liability. They should be consider themselves lucky if someone wants to take it. The long term cap relief they are receiving should almost be worth THEM sending OUT an asset. Strange development. If Russ wants to go, they should let him.
Westbrook and Roberson for Winslow, Herro/Bam, Waiters, and Dragic. I did some mental math and the salaries are pretty similar for this year, but another moving part or two might be needed. Who says no?
No way do you give them herro or bam. Olynik, waiters, dragic…. no bam, no herro (maybe Winslow)
@michaelchaney I think OKC would reply with a mighty “hell no”. Any team that’s willing to take on Westbrook, all of his perceived flaws and his 3/$130 left after 2019 isn’t viewing him or this trade as a “salary dump”. Instead, they seem his as a valuable player that simply makes a lot of money too. OKC should value him as that.
As long as Westbrook isn’t putting a gun to Presti’s head, wait it out until more teams can trade their recent FA signees and other scenarios play out.
Westbrook “put the gun to his head” … Windhorst reported this afternoon OKC was given a “short list” with the Heat #1
@jeremyn That’s not a gun to their head. A gun to their head means get it done asap or I’ll pout. I’m POSITIVE OKC probably asked him for a list of teams he would like to join. Westbrook is beloved in OKC and is the ONLY player that choose to stay in OKC.
If I were the Heat, I would make one offer and if they take it great, but if not, oh well. Thunder will come back to them. It’s not like anyone else is trying to trade for that contract. I understand that Presti is great as his job, but they are not going to get some great haul for Russ and that contract….unless the Knicks decide to do something stupid once all those contracts are tradeable.
They could also exchange draft picks. Okc could send back the picks to the Heat, and the Heat could send over 2020 and 2022 unprotected, and send over 1-2 extra picks in 2024 and 2026, if necessary. As stated, no way should Winslow or Bam be in this deal. I would personally be willing to include Herro, but I understand why they wouldn’t. I would prefer to keep Dragic over Waiters, and would send Herro to do so, but at the absolute most, I could see his expiring, Leonard’s expiring, and James Johnson going with the picks and pick swaps. If Dragic is included, Herro shouldn’t be. Also, the Heat need to be able to create the room to sign 2 minimum players under the hard cap, to complete their roster, which is why those are essentially the only iterations of the deal, without a 3rd team
If the Heat pass, it’s not the end of the world. 2021 has a huge FA class. Its arguable they should have just let stuff play out until then, instead of grabbing Butler, but they’re still in good position, so theres no reason to over extend. In that scenario, I think Maten and/or Nunn get converted to 2 way deals, and they resign UD and grab someone else for the minimum to fill out the roster
It’s pretty simple really. Pay and play him or dump him to rebuild. Dragic, Johnson and Olynik are 2 years at $85M or Westbrook at 4 years and $171M.
Heat should get 2021 1st back also
in this trade.
Mavs are begging to get rid of Lee. As 3rd team bet Mavs jump on Dragic. Because they have enough space for this and Luka wants to play with his buddy Dragic.
Otherwise sit back and wait on a bidding war in February.
It’s the Thunders choice to rebuild, no one else’s.
Don’t forget the 15% kicker that Westbrook has. Think his contract is bad now try trading him somewhere he doesn’t want to go.
Herro and Bam should not be traded for Westbrook. Unless OKC is willing to give back our 2021 pick.
In that case, they can have Bam
I’m cool with Herro b/c I can pretend we didn’t have him if he turns out. I wouldnt be able to deal with that happening with anyone else, and since theyve established themselves already, they have more value. To me, its Dragic or Waiters + Herro.
1) The Heat are negotiating against themselves and they know it
2) The Thunder will soon be told Westbrook wants to go to Miami putting them in a PR box with a player they will probably build a statue of one day.
3) The best trade for all involved is the following (in my biased opinion)…
Heat Get: Russell Westbrook
Thunder Get: Goran Dragic (to buy out immediately) one of Dion Waiters or Justise Winslow to keep around….a draft pick… and a heavily protected 2nd round pick never meant to convey (from 3rd team)
3rd Team Gets: Their choice of James Johnson or Kelly Olynyk… which ever makes the salaries work with their preference.
Heat get their player.. Thunder get their future… 3rd team gets a free rotation player.
(yes this means the thunder are basically trading Westbrook for a 1st round pick, Justise Winslow, and cap room)
Thunder fans who will probably be upset when the westbrook trade is finished… consider that you basically just traded George and Westbrook for 6-7 1st round picks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Justise Winslow, and all the cap room you want for the 2021 FA frenzy.
Except nobody wants to sign in OKC… no matter how much cap room they will have. They are going to have to build through the draft. Hopefully, for their sake, some of those picks strike gold.
While I tend to agree… they can still go after 2nd tier guys looking for $$$ like Kyle Lowry, Gordon Hayward, Mike Conley, etc etc