Report: Russell Westbrook Made into Scapegoat for Rockets' Playoff Struggles

NBA sources close to Washington Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook reportedly believe he became a "scapegoat of sorts" after the Houston Rockets were eliminated in the second round of the 2020 playoffs.

Fred Katz and Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported Friday the "real reason" Westbrook and James Harden wanted out of Houston was the team's dismantling at the hands of the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, and Westbrook was dealt as part of a blockbuster swap bringing John Wall to the Rockets. 

"Sources close to Westbrook believe the nine-time All-Star was being made out to be a scapegoat of sorts for Houston's playoff meltdown, with his poor showing making him an easy target—eerily similar to what happened with [Chris] Paul and Harden following the Rockets' Game 6 collapse against the [Golden State] Warriors in 2019," the report noted.

Before the trade, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported Westbrook and Harden had "expressed concern about the direction of the franchise" after the departures of general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D'Antoni. The Lakers loss wasn't prominently featured in that report.

Regardless of the reason, the Rockets have moved on from one of last season's cornerstones and the future of Harden remains up in the air.

New Houston head coach Stephen Silas said Thursday he's letting the 2017-18 NBA MVP work through the situation without trying to overwhelm him with constant contact.

"When stuff like this kind of happens where there's a little indecision and stuff going on, I kind of take a step back and allow guys some space," Silas told reporters. "From my perspective, my communication has been, 'I'm giving you space,' and that's kind of where it's been as far as my communication with him. Guys like that need that. They need to figure it out, and they don't need someone banging on them all the time to kind of figure out where they're at and whatnot."

The personal relationship between Harden and Westbrook remains strong, but a conclusion was reached they "simply couldn't co-exist on the floor" in order to seriously compete for a championship, per Katz and Iko.

That's not a shock given the fact they're both ball-dominant players. It'll be intriguing to see whether the results are any different with Wall, another well-rounded offensive guard who could ultimately pose similar on-court issues as Paul and Westbrook.

It's a surprise the Rockets didn't seek a different type of player in the Westbrook trade as a result. Perhaps more of an off-the-ball wing scorer or a dominant frontcourt presence that could have allowed Harden to lead the offense on a full-time basis and help convince him to stay for the long haul.

Two superstar guards can work as the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, have showcased with the Golden State Warriors, but that's in large part because Thompson is a catch-and-shoot player, leaving Curry to run the show.

Meanwhile, Westbrook will head to the Wizards and attempt to forge a better connection with shooting guard Bradley Beal as he plays for his third team in as many years.