NY Knicks: The Pros and Cons of a Russell Westbrook Trade

Two of the NBA’s most valuable franchises‘ aren’t having seasons as planned.

Both the NY Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have struggled this season.

New York is 17-19 at the time this is being written, sitting at 10th place in the East and fighting for a play-in spot.

Los Angeles Is 18-19 and in 7th place, a tier below the elite in the West.

(For starters, they’re both wishing they went for DeMar DeRozan.)

The Lakers took a swing for the fences this offseason, trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and a first-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook.

Should the NY Knicks trade for Russell Westbrook?

Looking to take some ball-handling pressure off of LeBron James, the Lakers went all in their efforts to win a 2nd title in the LeBron James era.

It was the third time Russ has been traded in so many seasons, and so far it’s been a mixed bag in Los Angeles.

He continues to put up numbers and has taken a lot of Point Guard duties away from LeBron, as the Lakers have started using James at Center in Anthony Davis’ absence.

But Lakers fans’ frustration with Westbrook comes from his lack of defense and the prolific ability to turn the ball over. He can’t be blamed for all of the Lakers’ struggles, but the club has reportedly held internal conversations about finding a trade partner.

New York made one move last season at the trading deadline for Derrick Rose.  Should the Knicks deal for another former MVP Point Guard?

While Kemba Walker has shown signs of life since returning to the starting five, his knee issues have flared up again and it doesn’t look like he’ll be able to play a high volume of minutes going forward.

Deuce McBride has looked great in limited appearances, but it’s not the time to hand over the offense to the young rookie.

Is the Triple-Double King the solution to New York’s woes?

Hear me out.

The Pros of a NY Knicks Russell Westbrook trade

It’s been written ad nauseam why the Lakers would want to move off Westbrook. So why would the Knicks want to move on to him?

For starters, New York has lacked an identity all season.

Last year’s magic, steeped in defense and effort has been nowhere to be found.

And while there’s still plenty of season left, if the Knicks are going to turn it around, it’s gotta happen sooner rather than later.

Russ, as erratic as he may be, would bring an identity to New York.

He’s a terrific locker room presence and has years under his belt of being a go-to option on a playoff team. As the Knicks are currently constituted, they don’t have an alpha like him.

On the court, Russ would immediately fill the hole at point guard. Kemba Walker has shown signs of life since returning to the rotation, but his durability will always be an issue.

Westbrook is still a threat at the rim as much as any guard in the league.

From the Knicks point guards this season (especially with Derrick Rose out), we’ve lacked the ability to get downhill.

A de facto center during his stint with the Rockets, Westbrook would be great for the Knicks as Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel are inconsistent offensive rebounders.

There’s no world in which the Knicks should give up Julius Randle or any of their young prospects, and matching salaries wouldn’t cost New York as much as you think. (The Knicks would cut DeAndre Jordan or any other minimum contract to get the deal done).

Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, and Nerlens Noel have all had subpar years.

Kevin Knox is out of the rotation, and I would be surprised if he was still with New York at the end of the season.

Plus, the trade would open a slot in the starting five for Quentin Grimes, resulting in a rotation of something like:

Westbrook – Grimes – Barrett – Randle – Robinson

Rose / McBride – Quickley – Burks – Toppin – Gibson

Knicks fans hate to admit it, but Westbrook would instantly be the best player on the team.

The Cons of a NY Knicks Russell Westbrook trade

Why shouldn’t the Knicks trade for Russ?

As we’ve seen, any team lives and dies by Westbrook. For all the reasons the Lakers would want to trade him, the Knicks would want to avoid him.

His defensive lapses have cost games for the Lakers. Although he’s efficient from the corner this season, he is arguably the worst high-volume three-point shooter in NBA history.

Despite his still otherworldly athleticism, Westbrook at the age of 33 is on the other side of his prime and has lost a step (or two) from his MVP days.

He makes $45mm each season over the next two years – so while his contract will be up sooner rather than later, the Knicks would lose all cap flexibility.

The contracts of Fournier, Walker, Fournier, and Knox are all relatively movable alone or in different combinations.

Westbrook’s? Not so much.

As Russ’s most ardent defenders (myself included) would admit, Westbrook needs the ball to play his game.

One of the greatest flaws of the Knicks roster as presently constructed is having a starting five consisting of four ball-dominant players (Walker, Fournier, Barrett, and Randle).

Westbrook does nothing to fix that.

The biggest reason the Knicks would want to avoid Westbrook (and will), is their goal of continuing to compete for a playoff spot this season while developing their young players.

Trading for Russ is an all-in and short-term move for a team looking to make a deep run into the playoffs.

That doesn’t sound like the Knicks this season.