Since Charlotte lost their All-Star point guard at the start of free agency, many fans were interested in trading for Russell Westbrook before he got traded to the Houston Rockets.
After the devastating loss of Kemba Walker, what are the Charlotte Hornets’ true plan to replace the All-Star? There was one solution for the Hornets, but it did not happen.
With the recent trade speculation with Russell Westbrook, the Hornets could’ve ended up being a potential trade partner to land the eight-time All-Star. The thought of the Hornets trading for Westbrook sat well for many fans, but it did not seem attractive to others.
Sadly, Westbrook ended up being traded to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night. This was a trade that shocked the entire NBA.
The trade reports about Westbrook did not surface until he lost his teammate Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers. This seems to be what made Westbrook request a trade to leave the Thunder.
Swarm and Sting did a poll last week on what fans thought when it came to trading for Westbrook. Out of the 1,309 people who voted, 56% said they would’ve been open to trading for Westbrook.
Would you be open to a trade for Russell Westbrook?#NBASummer
— Swarm and Sting (@SwarmnSting) July 6, 2019
It’s understandable why many fans would not want to make this trade, as it would require the Hornets to trade a lot of assets to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This was only a good move if the Hornets were not planning to rebuild.
On Saturday after contracts became official, General Manager Mitch Kupchak stated that he does not know if the team will enter a rebuild period yet. He even went onto to say that the team would be willing to go after a great player if the team looks like a playoff contender.
Trading for Russell Westbrook would’ve solved a lot of issues for the Hornets, but I did not feel that it was in Charlotte’s best interest. A trade like this would’ve only made sense if Steven Adams was added to the deal; this would have made the trade work financially.
Westbrook is no joke, and his play could’ve helped take Charlotte to the next level. Westbrook is coming off another triple-double season where he averaged 22.9 points, 10.7 assists, and 11.1 rebounds per game.
Many also know that Westbrook is the face for the Jordan shoe, so it would’ve been interesting to see him play under Michael Jordan in Charlotte. This seemed like something Jordan would explore.
Personally, I did not see his trade happening since the Charlotte Hornets just signed Terry Rozier to a 3-year $58 million deal. Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve gone crazy if Charlotte had Westbrook with Rozier coming off the bench.