Why Oklahoma City Should Trade Westbrook

It’s fair to say now that Oklahoma City is caught in no man’s land. After 3 straight years of being bounced in the first round, the Thunder face a crucial off-season in hopes of bringing the franchise back to title contention, a goal so close only 3 years ago. So, what do they do? Where do they go? They’ve just traded Paul George for an insane number of draft picks and a very talented young PG in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This is a great start, but more must be done.

 Oklahoma City has made Russell Westbrook the face of the team, and undoubtedly he’s made Oklahoma City a strong basketball market. He’s set historic records for triple doubles and he will always be a legend in OKC. However, it’s time to move on and shake things up; consistency should not be tolerated. Looking at Russ, you have to take into consideration his age (30), and his remaining contract (5 years, $178 Million). On top of that, he’s had numerous knee surgeries, so his health is a potential risk moving forward. So, who would take on such a big contract for an aging PG who struggles to hit shots? A franchise that needs the face and flash of Westbrook to invigorate their fans, but also has the cap room to take on such a large contract. Look no further than the Detroit Pistons.

                The Detroit Pistons are a disappointing franchise with a proud history. While they made the playoffs this year, they didn’t finish over .500 and they still lack and identity. Blake Griffin has taken over as the leader, but with his knees an issue and the spacing problems between himself and Andre Drummond, the plan to make him the face of the franchise hasn’t been optimal. This off-season the Pistons should look to make a splash and get some buzz going around the team.

So, what does each team gain? For Detroit, this trade brings in a player who epitomizes the city of Detroit; tough and gritty. Russell Westbrook is a high-octane player who brings fire into every game he plays, which is something the Pistons have been lacking in recent years. Furthermore, Detroit finally opens up their floor spacing with this move. The speed and ball handling of Westbrook will undoubtedly create matchup problems, allowing Drummond to have more room in the paint or pop it out to Kennard or Galloway in the wing. Even if that couldn’t happen, Russ is a former MVP and an all-NBA PG who has top gear athleticism and personality; he’ll put people in the stands, which is what the Pistons need being in a new arena.

                For Oklahoma City, they regain their native son. Having grown up and played his whole life in Oklahoma (Oklahoma Christian School, then University of Oklahoma) it would be a welcome homecoming for Blake. In recent years we’ve seen success when a player returns to a small market team in which they came from. Victor Oladipo returned to Indiana and it definitely helped improve his game, winning NBA’s most improved played in 2018. By returning to Oklahoma, Blake Griffin would be beloved by the entire state, bringing in sell out crowds to every game. The combination of raucous fans and an inspired player can be dangerous, but it’s even more dangerous when it’s a player of Griffin’s caliber. A swiss army knife of talent, Griffin can man the paint, stretch and hit the 3 ball, or maybe even just take it to the lane and dish it out himself. Whatever it may be, Griffin can do, as he’s been adapting his game over the past few years.

                Moving on as a franchise is a terribly difficult decision, but in this case, each team gets to rebrand and rebuild in their own way without taking a marginal step back talent wise. When a potential trade comes along that can help your franchise AND make your fans happy, it’s too good of an offer to pass up. Unless Oklahoma City and Detroit want to join the NBA purgatory of mediocrity with good players (Washington Wizards, Minnesota Timberwolves) then they must make this deal happen.