Rumors have been swirling for months regarding the future of Russell Westbrook in a Lakers uniform and the Hornets have consistently been linked to the triple-double king.
On Monday, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor updated the team needs section of his ‘NBA Draft Guide’ ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft, which mentioned Charlotte’s ‘real’ interest in acquiring Westbrook.
O’Connor writes:
“The Russell Westbrook interest that Marc Stein reported months back is real. Though Westbrook makes little sense as a player next to [LaMelo] Ball, he does have an expiring contract and the Hornets could be dropping the bag for restricted free agent Miles Bridges, plus LaMelo Ball’s extension is around the corner. It’s a good time to move some other long-term salary (e.g., Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier) for an expiring deal in Russ. They could also explore moving up from 13 and 15 into the top 10. No matter what, the Hornets should prioritize finding a big scoring wing who can complement LaMelo. Bridges is good. With him or not, the Hornets need someone.”
KOC is right, the Hornets need someone. With the continued Gordon Hayward’s continued injury history and the fact that both Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball are up for huge contract extensions, acquiring a huge expiring contract would serve as helpful.
Is Russ that someone? That’s up for debate, but I’d like to think that Michael Jordan has a soft spot for the competitor that Russ is, not to mention that he’s a Jordan Brand athlete.
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