Russell Westbrook Trade Rumors: Knicks on Short List of Viable Landing Spots

The New York Knicks have reportedly "weighed" the idea of a blockbuster trade for Houston Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Friday the Knicks are on the "short list of viable trade destinations" for Westbrook if they're willing to take on the $132.7 million left on his five-year, $206.8 million contract.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Thursday there isn't a lot of interest in Westbrook around the NBA in large part because of his lucrative contract.

The Charlotte Hornets are one of the few teams who've reached out to the Rockets, per Shams Charania of Stadium:

Westbrook has been one of the league's top individual performers over the past decade. He averaged a triple-double across three straight seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder beginning in 2016-17, and he continued to post terrific numbers in his first year playing alongside James Harden in Houston.

The 32-year-old UCLA product averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.6 steals across 57 appearances for the Rockets during the 2019-20 season.

Houston finished fourth in the Western Conference with a 44-28 record and defeated the Thunder in the opening round of the playoffs. It was eliminated by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the conference semifinals, and an offseason overhaul has ensued.

Rafael Stone took over for Daryl Morey as general manager, and Stephen Silas was hired as the new head coach to replace Mike D'Antoni.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported Wednesday both Westbrook and Harden had "expressed concern" about the direction of the franchise amid the changes, which left the team's leadership "fearful" their commitment was "wavering."

The Knicks are an intriguing potential landing spot for Westbrook because they could use a new cornerstone as they try to reconstruct their roster under new team president Leon Rose.

Yet, the biggest lingering question about the nine-time All-Star throughout his career is whether he makes the players around him better. He would probably post incredible individual numbers in New York, but it's up for debate whether acquiring him would actually change the team's overall fortunes.

The Knicks have gone seven straight seasons without a playoff berth, so there's extra pressure on Rose to turn things around as quickly as possible. Making a significant financial investment in Westbrook may not be the solution to the problem, though.