If you are like most people of sound mind and body, you see the New York Knicks kicking the tires on free-agent Russell Westbrook as borderline organizational malpractice. That is…not unreasonable. But there is actually one scenario in which his arrival can make sense: if the Knicks have a trade lined up for Josh Hart.
Having both players on the roster should be considered a non-starter. New York acquired Karl-Anthony Towns under the guise it would lean into five-out spacing, only to play the shaky-shooting Hart nearly 2,900 minutes last season. The offense only stands to be at its best if the latter is coming off the bench, in favor of an outside threat joining the opening lineup.
Signing Westbrook and keeping Hart throws the most optimized version of the Knicks out the window. Lead executive Leon Rose better make sure that’s not the end result here.
Russell Westbrook and Josh Hart are a terrible fit
Adding Westbrook to a roster that has Hart does one of two things to New York’s rotation. Both them are terrible.
Either they are both coming off the bench, in which case the spacing craters for secondary lineups, or the next head coach will feel compelled to continue running out the same starting five with Hart that served up big bowls of meh this past year. A few words of advice to the Knicks: How about you don’t let that happen?
This says nothing of the inherent risks associated with Westbrook. He has bounced from team to team over the past few years, donning five different jerseys since getting traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019. His time with the Denver Nuggets last season is the closest he’s come to being a useful role player…and they were still outscored by 103 points with him on the floor during the playoffs.
For all he can do well (we’ll get there in a second), Russ remains prone to questionable decision-making that can mutate into complete hijackings of the offense, replete with rickety finishing around the rim, in addition to his spotty outside shooting. You can’t sign him without taking him into account.
Westbrook can help the Knicks under very specific circumstances
To Westbrook’s credit, he can still be a pace-pusher on the offensive end. More importantly, at least to the Knicks, he is someone they can roll out defensively at the point of attack.
Westbrook ranked in the 94th percentile of screen navigation, and 88th percentile of perimeter isolation defense while with the Nuggets, according to BBall Index. He can make life on the less-glamorous end instantly easier on Mikal Bridges, and on OG Anunoby. His perimeter activity is also a safeguard against Towns’ shoddy rim protection on the interior.
Even so, the risks could outweigh the rewards no matter what. The Knicks certainly shouldn’t be prepared to pay him the mini mid-level of $5.7 million. This should be a minimum-signing-or-bust situation.
And it should definitely be a Josh Hart-or-Russell Westbrook situation. New York can’t, and shouldn’t want to, have both.