Russell Westbrook Rumors: Star Was Interested in Kawhi Leonard, Raptors Trade
If Russell Westbrook had been part of a deal that ended with him playing alongside Kawhi Leonard, the former NBA MVP wouldn't have objected to such a scenario.
Per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star, Westbrook "was believed to have interest" in playing with Leonard and the Toronto Raptors.
Arthur noted Westbrook was never discussed in talks between the Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder ended up agreeing on a trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, serving as the impetus for Leonard agreeing to sign with the Clippers, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski noted Thunder general manager Sam Presti was willing to explore a trade package that sent Westbrook and George to Toronto, but those talks never "gained traction" because the Raptors "could never be sure that the Thunder even wanted to do a deal with them."
Even though Westbrook wasn't traded as part of a package with George, the eight-time All-Star isn't guaranteed to remain with the Thunder.
Per Wojnarowski, Presti, Westbrook and Westbrook's agent, Thad Foucher, are discussing possible next steps for the Thunder star, including a possible trade prior to the start of the 2019-20 season.
The Thunder appear set to rebuild after acquiring five first-round draft picks (four unprotected), two pick swaps, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari's expiring contract from the Clippers for George.
Westbrook has three more guaranteed years on his contract worth $124.1 million, plus a $47.1 million player option for 2022-23. The 30-year-old has averaged a triple-double in each of the past three seasons, including 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game in 2018-19.
