Russell Westbrook Thanks Rockets, Fans on Twitter After Trade to Wizards

Russell Westbrook thanked the Houston Rockets and their fans for his one year with the team following his trade to the Washington Wizards.

"I want to thank the fans and the city of Houston for embracing me and my family," Westbrook wrote Thursday. "I want to thank everyone at the Rockets organization for believing in my ability to make an impact and making my time in Houston a great experience."

Westbrook was the most recent star who struggled to mesh with James Harden.

After Dwight Howard and Chris Paul proved to be poor fits, the thinking was Harden and Westbrook's existing friendship would make for a more lasting dynamic in Houston while keeping the Rockets in the title conversation.

Instead, the team lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs in five games. And two months after the Rockets' season ended, The Athletic's Kelly Iko, Sam Amick and Shams Charania reported Westbrook wanted out: "Westbrook has informed team officials that he has been uneasy about the team’s accountability and culture, and wants to join a team where he can have a role similar to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City."

To call this an acrimonious divorce would inaccurate because whatever drama existed played out behind the scenes. The saga didn't drag on for long, and neither Westbrook nor the Rockets aired any dirty laundry in public.

The trade itself, however, furthered the notion both sides wanted to go in separate directions.

Westbrook has a fresh start; however, the problems he experienced in Houston could persist in Washington since Bradley Beal is still in town.

Houston got back a new secondary star in the trade, but nobody knows what kind of player John Wall is following his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon. Wall's last appearance in an NBA game was Dec. 26, 2018.

Westbrook and the Rockets are probably happy with their present situations, but it's not apparent either is any better off.