Russell Westbrook Rumors: Heat Viewed as 'Unlikely' Landing Spot amid Kevin Love Buzz

Don't expect to see Russell Westbrook on the Miami Heat down the stretch of the 2022-23 season.

Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported it's "considered unlikely" the point guard will sign with the Heat despite previous links between the Eastern Conference team and player.

Miami may be adding another veteran, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski called it a "front-runner" to sign Kevin Love after the forward completed his buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

While Westbrook is technically a member of the Utah Jazz, it didn't take long after the Western Conference team acquired him for reports of a looming buyout to emerge. He has been connected to multiple teams, including the Heat, but continues to take his time deciding.

There was a time in his career when the future Hall of Famer would have been among the biggest additions in the league.

His resume includes the 2016-17 MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star Game nods and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He was a triple-double threat every time he stepped on the floor, especially in his prime on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Yet that was not the version of Westbrook that consistently took the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers since they acquired him ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

He was an awkward fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis because his poor three-point shooting left him ill-equipped to take advantage of the spacing created by the additional defensive attention the stars drew.

It is fair to wonder if similar problems would emerge if he plays next to Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in Miami. Opposing defenses could clog the lane and double off him knowing he isn't much of a threat from the outside, which would make life all the more difficult for the go-to options.

It seems as if the Heat will not have to worry about that, though, given the latest report.