Russell Westbrook Rumors: Heat Got Mixed Feedback on Buyout Target After Lakers Trade

The Miami Heat are performing their due diligence regarding a possible move for Russell Westbrook.

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson reported Thursday the Heat are "soliciting input from people they trust who have worked with him."

Jackson also reported the team has "concerns" after receiving feedback:

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reported they could ultimately pivot in another direction:

The Utah Jazz have yet to buy Westbrook out of his contract. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Feb. 11 it's one of many options on the table following his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Two days later, the Miami Herald's Anthony Chiang reported the Heat had held "internal discussions" about the 2016-17 MVP.

Although Westbrook finally assumed the sixth man role many thought was a better fit this season, the shift did little to help his performance.

In 52 games with the Lakers, the 34-year-old averaged 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per contest. His shooting remains as bad as ever (41.7 percent overall and 29.6 percent on three-pointers).

Westbrook ranks 56th among all point guards (minus-2.85) in ESPN's real plus-minus.

Signing the nine-time All-Star would give the Heat another playmaker behind Kyle Lowry, who has missed the last six games with a knee injury. In his story, Chiang reported the veteran playmaker "is expected to miss the remaining games in February and likely some time beyond that."

That's not good news for a team that ranks 22nd in assist ratio (17.4 percent), per NBA.com.

The trouble with Westbrook is that he'd exacerbate one of the Heat's biggest issues. They're shooting just 33.4 percent from the perimeter as a team, the third-worst clip in the league.

There's also the messy divorce between him and the Lakers ahead of the trade deadline. His arrival could disrupt an organization that has always prided itself on its internal culture.

Conversely, the nature of his exit from L.A. could have Westbrook itching to set the record straight.