Earlier on Thursday, it was reported that the Miami Heat were doing some reconnaissance on Utah Jazz guard Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook was traded to the Jazz form the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the trade deadline, and he seems destined to be bought out by the Jazz in the near future.
When it comes to the recon that the Heat have done on Westbrook, it looks like they have gotten some concerning information. No specifics have been revealed, but it might be enough to keep the Heat away from the former MVP.
According to another Thursday report, the Heat are already prioritizing options in the frontcourt over potential backcourt additions. The primary targets for Miami appear to be Serge Ibaka and Kevin Love.
However, there are definitely some Heat fans who want the Heat to strongly consider adding Westbrook.
It will be interesting to see if any additional information comes out about Westbrook and these apparent “concerns.”
As NBA fans know quite well, Westbrook didn’t have the happiest marriage with the Lakers. The team acquired him in the 2021 offseason, and he never really seemed comfortable on the team.
Truth be told, a lot of fans and experts alike predicted that the partnership wouldn’t work out all that well, and the blame cannot fully be placed on Westbrook for not being able to change his natural playing style to fit the Lakers’ needs.
To his credit, he did show an incredible level of humility early in the 2022-23 campaign by accepting a role coming off the bench for the Lakers. Though his numbers so far this season are down compared to his career averages, he did prove that he can produce whether he is starting or coming off the pine.
So far this season, he’s averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game. He has come off the bench in all but three of his 52 appearances.
Now that the All-Star break is about to start, it seems likely that the Heat front office will take advantage of the brief reprieve to really map out the organization’s buyout market strategy. Whether or not Westbrook becomes a part of that plan will be figured out soon.