Shark Bait: Russell Westbrook's Next Team Could Be in China

It seems like eons ago that Russell Westbrook was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. 

In what’s actually been just six years since, he’s been gradually reduced to an ill-fitting journeyman who’s popped up far more in trade rumors and “next team” NBA odds columns than All-Star talk.

Seemingly on a new roster every five minutes, Westbrook — technically with his third team this season — is already looking like an awkward fit in most Clippers lineups; one who, much like with L.A.’s other team, sabotages spacing while taking the ball out of its stars’ hands. 

Dray guarding Russ ???? pic.twitter.com/mpeKmmzeGl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 3, 2023

As such, some sportsbooks are already letting bettors consider where Russ could be headed in the offseason with Westbrook Next Team markets. Let’s take a look at where might make the most sense for him.

Russell Westbrook next team odds

Team (if not Clippers)	Odds
Shanghai Sharks (CBA)	+200
New York Knicks	+300
Chicago Bulls	+400
San Antonio Spurs	+500
Miami Heat	+600
Brooklyn Nets	+1,000
Oklahoma City Thunder	+1,200
Charlotte Hornets	+1,400
Orlando Magic	+1,600
Washington Wizards	+1,800
Portland Trail Blazers	+2,000
Indiana Pacers	+2,200
Detroit Pistons	+2,500
Houston Rockets	+2,500

Odds as of March 8, 2023.

Westbrook's style has made him a dinosaur in the modern NBA

In what’s been a dramatic fall from grace for Russell Westbrook, he’s on the verge of being out of the league barely half a decade removed from MVP status, without suffering a major injury. 

The reasons for this are many, but principally Russ’ legendarily poor shooting and questionable decision-making in high-leverage spots, compounded by a ball-dominant style that’s increasingly less palatable for inefficient players like himself in the modern NBA.

His tour with the Lakers was marred by horrific numbers from long range and Russ’ refusal to stop firing, doing painfully little to create space around or play off of LeBron James. It predictably led to the team’s undoing — one would think LeBron, a master of the game’s Xs and Os, would’ve known himself better.

Russell Westbrook Highlights - Lakers Edition pic.twitter.com/Gw9Eta7wR2

— TRESCO (@trescoball) February 9, 2023

Now with the Clippers, it’s been more of the same. Despite more efficient shooting overall, Westbrook’s been an awkard fit that takes as much away from the table as he brings to it. The Clippers are 1-5 with him on the roster.

Westbrook plays extremely hard — no one can ever fault his effort — but he’s also stubborn as an ox, and hasn’t seemed willing to adjust his play style much as his NBA stock fades. It’s a tale all too familiar with past stars whose M.O.s became dated, leaving them on the league’s fringes — from Dwight Howard to Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. 

Which team is the best fit for Westbrook?

Punctuating just how far Westbrook has fallen, the favorites to be his next team are the Shanghai Sharks, at +200, suggesting there’s a decent chance Russ isn’t even in the NBA for 2023-24. Seeing as I’ve watched exactly zero Sharks games this season, I’m not going to front like I have any idea how Russ would fit in the CBA (I mean, presumably he’d eat, I’m sure we can all agree on that).

Instead, let’s focus on the NBA, where finding a fit for Westbrook becomes more precarious. A team would need to not only be feeble at point guard, but be in that weird sweet spot where they’re not quite contending for a title, but have enough competitive onus to roll the dice with Russ. 

It would help if the team was stocked with shooters and able to absorb Westbrook’s inefficient usage, but those inherent incompatibilities are what have left us in this situation to begin with.

The easy cuts

Several teams on the odds board can immediately be ruled out: First being the New York Knicks (+300), who have two really good point guards, have won nine straight, are exceeding all expectations this season, and have absolutely zero reason to gamble on Westbrook.

Not surprisingly, there is also a lot of lottery fodder on this list, as good teams have generally Dawrin’d themselves out of the running for an inefficient heliocentric PG.  The San Antonio Spurs (+500) are probably a write-off (despite the incredible Russ and Gregg Popovich buddy comedy potential), as are the Oklahoma City Thunder (+1,200), who are within spitting distance of competing and still have tons of raw upside to realize. 

It’s a similar thread for teams like the Hornets (+1,400), Magic (+1,600), Pacers (+2,200), and Pistons (+2,500) all of whom either have a star point guard, a clear mandate to give young talent reps, or both. 

After whittling away half the list, we’re left with a bunch of teams that follow a pretty consistent script with what we outlined above, in terms of competitive onus, no point guard, and just the right amount of either desperation or apathy. Here are the Top 3 fits for Russell Westbook’s next team: 

3. Miami Heat (+600)

So, that Kyle Lowry trade working out pretty awesome, eh? 

Acquiring the Raptors GOAT was supposed to put the Heat over the top, but the Dinos appear to have shipped Lowry out at the perfect time — right before it became universally obvious that he was cooked. 

Currently having arguably his worst season since his rookie campaign, Lowry’s saddling the Miami balance sheet heavily and could be a buyout candidate for next season with over $29 million on the books and the Heat firmly in cap hell. 

Westbrook could be brought in on the super cheap, and while he’s a relatively poor fit on paper for the Heat (they certainly aren’t a good shooting team), this could be a plus for a few reasons. 

The first is Miami’s dire need for playmaking, which Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and all the Heat’s current point guards are best suited for in a secondary role. 

The second are the Heat’s great team D and switch-heavy and zone schemes, which could help mask some of Westbrook’s ball-watching and gambling tendencies. 

Third is the creativity of Erik Spoelstra, and the respect he can hopefully instill as a multi-champion and one of the NBA’s most entrenched coaches. If he can’t convince Russ to act more as an off-ball screener and cutter, there may not be any hope. 

Either way, the Heat are way too invested in the Butler-Adebayo-Tyler Herro core to pull the plug a year removed from the East Finals. They need a shake-up, and Westbrook could be it. 

2. Chicago Bulls (+400)

In a very similar situation to the Heat, only with a far lower ceiling and even more desperate.

Like Miami, the Bulls are a team that can’t shoot at all, have a gaping hole at point guard, and are saddled with enough financial liability to make a yard sale for its expensive stars seem like a meek admission of failure — as its trade deadline silence indicated. 

It’s tragic to see what’s happened to Lonzo Ball, who was evolving into a very good NBA player, and through shooting, playmaking, and defense was the glue that held this Bulls core’s early success together in so many ways. Unfortunately, his career looks like an injury write-off at this point and it’s probably prudent for the Bulls to mentally proceed without him. 

So, you’re a team with no money to spend who needs offense from arguably the NBA’s most important position? 

Westbrook would do nothing to solve Chicago’s shooting woes, but he’s an off-the-bounce creator who can pressure defenses with his forays to the rim. He’s a better playmaker than any of the Bulls’ active guards, and with their offense ranking 24th this season, there’s pretty much only room for improvement.

1. Washington Wizards (+1,800)

Sometimes, it’s best to bring things full circle.

The Wizards are as close as exists to a natural (re)union with Westbrook, who last helped steer them to the lower rungs of playoff contention. 

Unfortunately for the Wizards, they’re still in pretty much the same spot despite completely ripping off the Lakers when trading them Westbrook. The franchise’s astonishing commitment to mediocrity makes them a great fit for Russ, who has more or less guaranteed his roster won’t contend since Kevin Durant left it. 

The Wizards also currently house what’s likely the league’s weakest stable of point guards, with no clear prospects to develop as a starter, meaning a dice roll with Russ comes with far less opportunity cost.

And while the Wizards aren’t a good shooting team by any sound metric, they hit 3-pointers at a league-average rate, making them by default the best shooting team of these three.

Finding a good home for Russell Westbrook right now is a matter of compromise — a situation where there’s not much to lose and the implications won’t be very heavy. This sounds like a job for Washington.

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