NBA Trade Rumors: Should the Knicks consider a Russell Westbrook deal?

The bad for the New York Knicks

Now the bad. The bad is pretty obvious quite honestly. The worst-case scenario is that the Knicks make a move for Westbrook, he continues his inconsistent play, the Knicks continue to struggle and then he opts into his $47 million dollar player option for the 2022-2023 season.

If the Knicks were to make a move for Westbrook, the intention would be to make a run in the playoffs. If they fail to do this, the Knicks would be caught with one of the heftiest contracts in the NBA. Unlikely to move it, the Knicks would be stuck in a tough spot. They would lose all financial flexibility heading into both the 2022 and 2023 free agency period which, if the team isn’t playing well, would be a huge negative for a big market team like the Knicks.

Another concern of Knicks fans is that Westbrook may stunt the growth of their youth like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin.