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Charlotte Hornets: Pros and Cons of trading for Russell Westbrook

By Joshua Matthews

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 04: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 04: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Charlotte Hornets, Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Charlotte Hornets: Pros of trading for Russell Westbrook

So, I feel as if I’m in the minority for believing a Russell Westbrook trade would be beneficial for the franchise.

Firstly, I am tired of the stigma that Russell Westbrook is not a good basketball player or that he’s a bad shooter. Russell Westbrook is an extremely explosive player with unreal athleticism and can bring so much energy to Spectrum Center. Westbrook is not a great shooter from behind the arch, BUT he is still very efficient from the field. From the beginning of 2020 to the beginning of the NBA’s coronavirus hiatus, Westbrook actually “turned the corner” with his shooting percentage right at 50 percent, tallying 30 points per game. His three’ point percentage also slightly went up, despite shooting far fewer three’s. Westbrook found momentum at the beginning of the new year, and it’s a shame that the NBA’s hiatus halted his impetus on the court. According to Andrew Martin of SportsRaid, since Westbrook has stopped shooting three’s, he has played the best basketball of his career.

Secondly, Brodie is one of the biggest names in the league and would bring so much attention to Charlotte. To have a player of Westbrook’s stature on the roster would definitely lift ticket sales to new heights. Spectrum Center could be packed with Westbrook bringing in so much energy and explosiveness. Westbrook can finally be the player to solve the Hornets drought of not having a player in the top-15 highest jersey sales.

The Hornets are looking to get rid of Westbrook and apparently, there isn’t enough interest in him. This puts the Hornets in a very good spot as his value isn’t that high and Charlotte have the open cap space to take on his contract, which most teams don’t have. Brian Windhorst of ESPN stated the following on First Take:

"“I’ve surveyed a significant part of the league today and I don’t think there’s a lot of interest in Russell Westbrook trades out there. Not because they don’t think he’s not much of a player, but because of his contract.”"

Finally, Westbrook is a big enough player that he can attract some decent free-agents in the future. Charlotte is a basketball town that has never known an exciting player to change the city’s basketball culture. If Westbrook can attract a few other players, then this roster can be equipped and make a serious playoff push. Serge Ibaka or Danilo Gallinari could be intrigued by a Westbrook acquisition and could give Charlotte a serious look, which would do wonders for their organization.