NBA Trade Deadline 2020: One trade every team should make

New York Knicks: Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis and Elfrid Payton for the Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook

Reason for New York: New York is the most miserable team in the league. The Knicks just can’t seem to get anything right, either in the short-term or the long-term. Yes, Mike Miller is doing a good job so far. And Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett are good, blue-chip prospects. That’s great. But what’s the long-term plan? Russell Westbrook answers that question. He provides the best and most exciting point guard play New York has seen since Linsanity, and he could possibly push the Knicks into the playoffs in coming years. He would have great lob chemistry with Robinson. Meanwhile, Barrett and Robinson are as raw as live cows. They need years to develop in peace, and Westbrook’s four-year deal gives them that chance. By the time Westbrook’s monster deal expires, New York will be ready with a young core that has grown the right way. That’s when the Knicks could actually make a splash with the expiring money. It takes years to fix long-term problems, and that’s what Westbrook gives the Knicks. Plus, what are they losing? Just vets they signed, inexplicably, in the offseason, who — given the team’s record — don’t seem to be helping the team win games at all in the meantime.

Reason for Houston: The idea over the past few years was that Harden couldn’t do it alone, but Chris Paul didn’t help him much, and Westbrook really isn’t helping him at all either. Westbrook has been fine, good even. His numbers are great, and he’s been a great change-of-pace injection. But the Rockets have been better with Harden on the court alone than with Harden and Westbrook together, and they’ve been horrible with Westbrook alone. Those two statistical facts are irrefutable, and they’re probably the most important indicators of Westbrook’s value to Houston come playoff time. The Rockets could be better served with a number of contributors who could play serviceable roles. Morris is the real target here. He’s shooting lights-out from deep and scoring well, on top of playing fairly consistent defense. He could create for himself when Harden is getting trapped at half-court. Morris would slot into Houston’s starting lineup. Portis and Payton could help in certain situations too. Plus, the Rockets get out of Westbrook’s four-year deal and replace it with three different contracts, all of which come off the books in two years. That’s a win on its own. Plus, they’d be a better team, so this is a no-brainer.