Where to next? Possible free agent destinations for Russell Westbrook

Asking an NBA fan what they think of Russell Westbrook will almost always generate a spirited response. Followers of the game are either staunch supporters of what he brings to the floor, or think that the game has passed him by. His upcoming free agency is going to be an interesting test of his value around the NBA. We’ll take a look at some teams who might look to bring Westbrook in.

It seems like there’s mutual respect between Westbrook and the Clippers organization after they picked him up for the stretch run last spring. The point guard had to shoulder an immense offensive load with injuries to stars Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. In particular, Leonard has had trouble staying on the floor, which means Los Angeles may need another high usage player in the fold.

After an ambitious flurry of moves the last few seasons, the Nets decided to cut their losses by trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the deadline last year. This left Brooklyn with a trove of rotation players, but perhaps none that are able to carry a team. Westbrook isn’t likely to do that either at this stage, but he may provide insurance to fill in the blanks if Ben Simmons can’t get healthy.

It’s clear that Toronto is embracing change this offseason, as they’ve decided to part ways with longtime head coach Nick Nurse and trusted guard Fred VanVleet. What’s not abundantly known is the Raptors’ direction heading into next season, but there currently is a void in their backcourt. The team could do much worse than bringing Westbrook north of the border for one season.

Westbrook spent one season with the Wizards, where he turned it on during the second half of that campaign to lead the team to the postseason. Washington doesn’t appear to have the postseason in its immediate sights, but they will need to address the backcourt once the impending Bradley Beal trade is completed. A reunion wouldn’t seem to be out of the realm of possibility.

Under normal circumstances, Memphis’ interest in Westbrook would have been lukewarm at best. However, it’s been confirmed that they will be without star point guard Ja Morant for 25 games this season, which will open up some playing time. Tyus Jones will soak up much of that, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Westbrook to be in that picture as well to start the year.

The Rockets have indicated that they would like to bring in a couple of veteran players to play alongside their talented young building blocks. The notion of a James Harden return has been bandied about, but it might also behoove the franchise to think about reuniting with Westbrook. He might be a good fit to push the tempo next to Jalen Green.

The method of the breakup doesn’t seem to be set in stone just yet, but the Suns look to be preparing for next season as if Chris Paul won’t be in the picture. It’s understandable that they’d want to move away from him at age 38, but they’d still need a point guard to handle the ball. Westbrook, who of course is familiar with Kevin Durant from their Oklahoma City days, might be the solution.

It remains to be seen whether Portland will finally do what many believe should’ve happened years ago. If the front office trades Damian Lillard away, the team will signal their intention to build for the future. While Westbrook won’t be a foundational piece of that, he would be a drawing card to keep fan attendance in Portland consistent as the team transitions into its next iteration.