The Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to trade point guard Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for fellow organizer Chris Paul plus first-round NBA Draft picks in 2024 and 2026, according to various US media outlets.
Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti worked with Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, to send the 2017 MVP to his preferred destination to join former Thunder teammate James Harden.
OKC qualified for the Playoffs in each of the three seasons that Westbrook and Harden shared a dressing room, going from eighth seed in 2009-10 to fourth in 2010-11 and second in 2011-12.
They reached the NBA Finals together in their final season, losing in five games to the Miami Heat. Later, Harden was traded to Houston.
Westbrook had long been rumored to be close to joining the Miami Heat with guard Jimmy Butler, a former 76ers, but in the end he opted for the Texas franchise.
Westbrook is an eight-time All-Star, two-time All-Star MVP, season MVP (2017), two-time league leading scorer (2015 and 2017) and two-time leader in assists (2018 and 2019).
He was also an Olympic champion in London-2012 and a gold medalist at the World Cup in Turkey in 2010.
“It will be very interesting and fun,” Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta told Fox TV of Houston.
Fertitta added that “James and Russell wanted to play together. We will always try to improve. I think this makes us a better team. I hate losing Chris Paul, but we felt like we did what we had to do to become a better team. “
Paul, who at the age of 34 might be looking for another trade, joins the Thunder for now along with first-round NBA Draft picks from Houston in 2024 and 2026.
Harden has led the NBA in scoring the past two seasons, averaging 36.1 points per game this past season, while Westbrook averaged a triple-double the past three seasons. In the past, he produced 22.9 points, 11.1 sacks and 10.7 assists.
– Reinforced West –
Harden, 29, and Westbrook, 30, form as potent a super duo as any in the Western Conference, which now includes last month’s NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and former Thunder star, Paul George, at the Los Angeles Clippers.
Additionally, LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined forces with the neighboring Lakers.
Denver, Utah and Portland also improved, while the Golden State Warriors, finalists the last five years, lost guard Klay Thompson.
The union of Westbrook and Harden thus increases the chances that the Rockets will be one of the favorites to the championship. AFP