The Detroit Pistons need to once again avoid Russell Westbrook

The Detroit Pistons need to avoid making a move on one of the NBA’s top stars.

Last night, Shams Charania of The Athletic gave us one of the first bits of major trade news in a considerably long time. Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston. Some fans of the Detroit Pistons are once again interested in his arrival.

This doesn’t come as a major surprise, as many expected to see the Rockets continue the theme of cleaning house. They recently parted ways with Mike D’Antoni and (amicably) Daryl Morey. With rumors swirling over the fate of James Harden, Westbrook rumors were inevitable.

Most will remember that Pistons fans had their run in with Westbrook just over a year ago in the summer of 2019, when it was made known that he could be traded from Oklahoma City. At the time, the fan base was split.

There were certainly pros and cons to acquiring him, and while we never found out if there was any legitimate claim to the rumors tying him to Detroit, they dodged a bullet by missing out on him.

As it happened, Westbrook was traded to the Rockets and paired up with another ball dominate guard in Harden. After struggling somewhat to open the season, Russ caught fire.

In mid-January of 2020, he more or less eliminated the three-point shot. It was no longer a major, or even minor part of his game. Between January and March, Westbrook averaged 32.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game on .537/.333/.774 splits.

The Rockets flamed out in the playoffs against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers, largely due to their inability to combat size.

The theory is that Westbrook wants to return to the role that he possessed in Oklahoma City. Reverting back to the primary ball handler and go-to option in late game situations. Russ wants to be the guy again.

As it happens, Detroit could actually offer him that considering the fact that they don’t have an established point guard at the moment. The 9-time All-Star could land in a pretty comfy spot with the Pistons, minus the possibility of competing for a championship.

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However, this isn’t something that should be given a single moment of thought. First of all, if there’s any trade that the Pistons are currently trying to pull off, it’s to move up (or down) in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The problem there is that we may not possess the necessary assets to actually pull that off. So with that in mind, how would we be expected to acquire an asset like Westbrook?

Second of all, over the weekend Troy Weaver mentioned that he didn’t want to put Detroit in a compromising position financially. He doesn’t want to mortgage our future on any gambles.

Westbrook is owed $132.6 million over the next three years. The third is a player option worth $47 million, a figure that no one would ever turn down. So the commitment to him would have to strong, and there’s not a chance that it is.

It’s important to note that while Troy Weaver is currently the General Manager in Detroit, he had previously spent many years with in Oklahoma City, and played a major role in Westbrook being drafted there.

If Weaver’s relationship with Westbrook supersedes reason, then fans can expect to see him in the Motor City.

It does not make financial or basketball sense to bring in a player who, despite his talent level, would do nothing to propel this franchise forward. The Pistons need a transcendent talent, but most would rather roll the dice and wait a few years.