NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Russell Westbrook Trade, Myles Turner, More

The Houston Rockets have suddenly become the talk of the NBA world.

Houston was already in the midst of significant change with former head coach Mike D'Antoni and longtime team president Daryl Morey both resigning from their respective positions. However, it seems even more change is possible in the next month.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Wednesday the Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook "wants out" of Houston, and it seems possible the former league MVP could be dealt for the second time in two years. 

The Rockets could move Westbrook in the next month. But there are challenges in centering a trade around "Brodie." Here is the latest on Westbrook, as well as league-wide interest in Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner and the Dallas Maverick's pursuit of a secondary playmaker.

Rockets Might Have Difficulty Dealing Westbrook

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Any number of teams would be intrigued by the idea of acquiring Westbrook.

The 32-year-old averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists for the Rockets during the regular season, and he really appeared to excel when the Rockets committed to a five-out offensive look.

Westbrook is a dynamo on the court and a fiery veteran leader in the locker room. But he also has an enormous contract, which could be a legitimate obstacle in trade talks.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported late Wednesday night the Rockets will have to incentivize teams as part of a Westbrook package, whether by eating some of his salary or adding more of their own assets to the deal.

Windhorst also said Thursday he has "surveyed a significant part of the league," adding there appears to be a general lack of interest in a Westbrook trade, per Hoop Central. 

Westbrook's contract could be doubly challenging to work with because of the financial issues the NBA faces this offseason and into next year. He is due more than $85.5 million over the course of the next two years, per Spotrac, with a $47 million player option in 2022-23. Westbrook is all but guaranteed to exercise that option given he will be heading into his age-34 season.

Charania reported Thursday morning the Charlotte Hornets have interest in Westbrook. Ian Begley of SNY.tv also reiterated a past report suggesting the New York Knicks could try to swing a deal. 

However, Westbrook's contract and inability to shoot from the perimeter would seemingly limit the return value Houston could acquire. Perhaps the Rockets can capitalize on a team greedy to acquire a star. Otherwise, they might be forced to do some damage control.

Numerous Teams Interested in Myles Turner

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Much of the noise involving the Indiana Pacers has surrounded former All-Star combo guard Victor Oladipo. But Oladipo is not the only asset the Pacers possess.

J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reported the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics made previous inquiries regarding Pacers big man Myles Turner. Michael also reported "a lot" of teams are interested in Turner because of his upside as an athletic stretch-big and rim protector. 

Turner was a breakout star when, as a 20-year-old, he averaged 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks during the 2016-17 season. But it is unclear exactly what Turner's role is going forward.

The 24-year-old is still a productive frontcourt player. Turner led the NBA with 2.7 blocks per game last year, and averaged 12.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks this year. He also stepped further out of his comfort zone by attempting a career-high 4.0 threes per game.

That said, an increase in three-point volume did not necessarily yield prolific results. Turner shot 34.4 percent from deep this past season. While this is a respectable clip for a big, Indiana would undoubtedly love for Turner to be more efficient from the perimeter.

Michael noted new Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren wants to play faster, and Indiana could look to fully maximize Turner as a rim-runner who can also shoot in the half court. At the same time, what kind of value does Turner have to the team if he struggles to shoot?

Domantas Sabonis has become a terrific post scorer who excels in pick-and-roll and can make the extra pass when diving to the rim. Sabonis has become the team's top interior playmaker, which does not leave a whole lot of usage for Turner on that side of the floor.

Turner is owed $52.5 million over the course of the next three years, per Spotrac, with $500K in annual incentives and $2 million in annual "unlikely" incentives. That is a fairly team-friendly contract, especially if rivals really buy into Turner's skill set.

Whether the Pacers elect to trade Turner remains to be seen. But he is generating plenty of interest all the same.

Mavericks Seeking Secondary Playmaker

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Oladipo is reportedly one of the players the Dallas Mavericks are pursuing, per Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.

O'Connor reported in his latest mock draft the Mavs are hoping to acquire a "secondary playmaking presence," potentially leveraging their No. 18 and No. 31 draft selections in order to do just that. 

In addition to Oladipo, O'Connor reported Dallas is pursuing Brooklyn Nets combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie and Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine.

Each player would bring something different to the table for the Mavs.

Dinwiddie averaged 20.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Nets last season. He is just a 31.8 percent career shooter from beyond the arc but also excels at attacking opponents off the dribble with a strong finishing ability at the rim.

LaVine would be a tremendous fit from an offensive perspective. The 25-year-old averaged 25.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 38 percent from deep on 8.1 attempts per game.

LaVine hunts threes out of the pick-and-roll, also using his quickness and athleticism to exploit matchups and get to the cup. He would likely excel with Dallas' wealth of stretch bigs. However, he still struggles defensively, and the Mavs could be after more backcourt defense.

That latter point could make Oladipo the ideal target. The 28-year-old saw limited action last year as he returned from a devastating quad tendon injury, and there is no telling whether Oladipo can get back to his previous form. If he can, however, he could be a legitimate third star in Dallas.

Oladipo averaged 23.1 points and led the NBA in steals per game (2.4) during the 2017-18 season. He was a less efficient scorer the following year but saw upticks in both the rebounding and assist averages prior to suffering a ruptured quad tendon in January of 2019.

The Mavs are motivated to make another leap in the Western Conference, and they could be among the most active teams in the trade market in the next month.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.