After the Boston Celtics have been reported to pursue Blake Griffin, the latest report now focuses on Russell Westbrook.
There is a lot of buzz about the wheeling and dealing in Las Vegas Summer League and the buzz has shifted because the Oklahoma City Thunder may be considering to deal Westbrook now.
This was reported by Bleacher Report analyst Howard Beck from his hotel room in Last Vegas. His comments as transcribed by Nicholas Goss in NESN.
"Let's just say there's a very strong suspicion, a strong belief among rival GMs that Russell Westbrook is not intending to stay, that he would leave next summer when he hits free agency," Beck said. "And because of that, the logical next step is that (Thunder general manager) Sam Presti - who is always ahead of the curve on these things - will look to trade him. I don't know that that's happening right this moment."
Beck also added: "Who's the logical trade partner for the Thunder if they decide to part with Westbrook? "What I'm hearing here in Las Vegas from some GMs is that not only do they think Westbrook will get traded, that it'll be sooner rather than later, probably before the season starts," Beck said. "And that the most likely destination right now would be the Boston Celtics."
The Celtics don't seem fazed by the probability of Westbrook leaving in free agency the following year. They reportedly made the bold move to try and trade for Griffin who could also leave next year. After signing Al Horford in a competitive free agency market, Danny Ainge's confidence is shooting through the roof.
Meanwhile, for the OKC Thunder, GM Sam Presti has always been known to have good foresight. He has a full understanding of his team's situation and how players can leave through free agency. Kevin Durant was his first blunder so far although many pundits had placed their bets that Durant will stay in Oklahoma.
Presti won't make the same mistake twice. While he has been maligned for the James Harden trade, many experts knew that Harden would force his way out of the Thunder and he had to act to prevent losing The Beard for nothing.
With the odds stacked against Westbrook returning, it may be a prudent move to deal him now. With the Brooklyn Nets' picks being made available by Boston, Presti will again have the opportunity to build a superteam from the draft-where he was able to build the Thunder's core in the first place.
The Celtics have players who can help the Thunder compete now, while also giving them assets for the future.