The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly reached a stalemate with regards to a deal involving Russell Westbrook.
According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, a couple of players from the Heat’s side, which the Thunder want to include in a potential trade, are at the center of the holdup:
“At another point in the discussions this week, the Thunder asked the Heat to include two among [Tyler] Herro, Bam Adebayo and Justise Winslow, according to a source in touch with one of the two teams. The Heat also is opposed to including Adebayo, whom coach Erik Spoelstra ranked among the best centers in the league in the final months of last season.”
This appears to confirm an earlier report which stated the Heat are reluctant to include Herro or Adebayo in any trade for the 2016-17 MVP.
Herro was officially signed to a contract Wednesday and cannot be traded for 30 days. This isn’t an issue for the Thunder, who may be close to trading their franchise player this offseason.
After Paul George was sent packing to the Los Angeles Clippers, Westbrook became the subject of trade rumors as the franchise appears set to rebuild this season.
Winslow is also another piece that the Thunder are eyeing. The talented 23-year-old is a budding star, but it is likely that the Heat will have to give him up in order to acquire Westbrook.
It is understandable why the Heat are hesitating to pull the trigger on a deal involving Herro, Adebayo and/or Winslow. As good as Westbrook is, Adebayo and Winslow are valuable members of the franchise, while Herro is considered an important piece of the team’s future.