NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets’ All-Star Guard Could Be On Trading Block

Numbers and credentials don’t seem to be enough to give Russell Westbrook the immunity from being sent to another team as he is reportedly being considered by the Houston Rockets in a possible exchange deal before the NBA trade deadline.

Ryen Russillo of the Ringer unleashed the rumor in his podcast on Thursday, saying that there is a high possibility that Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey could be picking the 2017 NBA MVP for his next roster chess move.

As transcribed by Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, Russillo said, "I think Westbrook is available. We can talk about semantics, of course, Daryl Morey would trade anyone if he thought it made his team better. Of course, he would trade Westbrook if he could get off of that long-term money if he thought the assets, the sum of the parts was better than having somebody that's considered a top-10 player.”

He added, "Is Daryl Morey actively calling people, saying, 'Hey, I've got to dump Westbrook?' Well, of course, he wouldn't do it that way. But there are people who believe Westbrook is available and that Daryl knows, ‘I've got to figure something out here.’”

"I'm sure people will deny this after they hear it on the podcast. I don't care."

Westbrook’s stint with the Rockets will be marked as a rather subpar short-lived stay if the idea comes into fruition. He was acquired by the Texas-based franchise during the offseason in a deal that sent Chris Paul and a package of first-round picks to Oklahoma City.

The Rockets are currently fourth in the West with a 21-10 record, making the move of having the highly-skilled guard look like a stroke of genius at first glance and on paper. But that does not appear to be the real case as the powerhouse reunion of Westbrook and James Harden does not seem to live much to the billing it first presented.

As Feldman said, “ Russell Westbrook hasn’t provided the desired upgrade over Chris Paul. Houston has performed better when James Harden plays without Westbrook than when Harden plays with Westbrook. Westbrook-led lineups have struggled when Harden sits. Though unloading Paul’s contract was essential to the trade, the Rockets certainly hoped Westbrook would help them more.”