Rockets: Russell Westbrook thanks Houston after trade to Wizards

Russell Westbrook wasn’t with the Rockets long, but he won’t forget Houston anytime soon.

The Rockets gave Westbrook his freedom — the only home he’s known besides Oklahoma City. The Rockets acquired Westbrook in 2019 for Chris Paul and pick swaps. It can be argued that trade worked out better for the Thunder, but alas, Russ’s time in Houston was a timeline of what if’s.

Houston built their roster around small-ball, going all-in on an exaggerated version of Mike D’Antoni’s approach. Hell, they had PJ Tucker playing center. That was never going to fly long-term, and Houston chose the wrong year to experiment as the Lakers relied on an inside-out approach thanks to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Now, Westbrook is off to D.C., where he’ll have the opportunity to play the floor general role he thrives in next to Bradley Beal, creating one of the best guard combinations in the Eastern Conference. On the way out the door, however, Westbrook thanked the Rockets in a statement.

Westbrook was nothing but class to Rockets fans

While Westbrook’s departure wasn’t the finest, due to reportedly missing the start of training camp and demanding a trade in front of executives, it could have been worse. The NBA is a player-driven league, and when a player wants out, they typically get their way.

Westbrook eventually found his way to another team in need of his services. He and John Wall are rather similar players, in similar situations. Both are drive-first players when healthy, with the explosiveness to get to the rim at will. Westbrook clearly does so more often and at a greater success rate, which is why the Wizards had to throw in a conditional first-round pick for his services.

More importantly, both are on undesirable contracts by NBA front office standards, leading to an easy swap. Best of luck to Westbrook in the nation’s capital.