The buyout market this year is expected to be a rather strong one littered with proven talents. One player who is expected to be made available is former league MVP Russell Westbrook who, despite his relatively positive play this season for his team, is simply not a good fit for them anymore. As such, the Philadelphia 76ers should seriously consider going after him when he is officially open for taking in the market.
The 76ers are strapped at the point guard position. They have zero PGs in their rotation outside of Tyrese Maxey, and at this point, the team is basically asking for trouble by not even having someone who can allow the All-Star to take a breather here and there. Pigeonholing both Quentin Grimes and Trendon Watford into the nominal point guard role is simply not sustainable.
Westbrook, who is playing for his seventh different ball club in the last eight years, has become one of the most divisive figures in the league from a basketball viewpoint. Many have questioned his ability to be a productive winning player in the modern NBA, but his talent and experience cannot be denied. This is still someone who can help a playoff team like the 76ers as long as he is put in the right role.
The 76ers should seriously consider signing Russell Westbrook if he is bought out
Westbrook started the season off as some sort of an afterthought in Kings coach Doug Christie's rotation, but he quickly became entrenched as their permanent starter at PG. In just under 30 minutes a night, he has averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per outing. While he is hooting just 43 percent from the field, he is canning 34.5 percent of three-point tries, which is a career-high for him.
The 76ers would greatly benefit having Westbrook's motor off the bench. He is probably going to be amenable to a heavily streamlined role at this point in his career, and there is also some sense of familiarity for him given that he will be reuniting with Paul George, who was his co-star in OKC. The prospect of helping mentor Maxey and VJ Edgecombe could also prove to be particularly enticing for Westbrook.
Clearly, the benefits of bringing Russell Westbook into the fold for the 76ers far outweight the attendant risks. And given what this team currently needs, even a divisive star like him stands to make a considerable impact on the roster.