Russell Westbrook is an all-time great, full stop.
He's a former MVP and a nine-time All-Star. He's led the league in scoring twice and assists three times. He's in the top-25 all-time in points, assists and steals. He became the first player in more than 50 years to average a triple-double for a full season, and then he messed around and did it three more times.
He's also one of the last unsigned free-agents left, and per Yahoo's Jake Fischer, Ben Simmons' free agency decision is reportedly holding up his market. As far as indignities go, they don't get much worse than that.
Teams looking for a backup ball-handler may prefer Ben Simmons to Russell Westbrook
Sure, Simmons has more defensive versatility by virtue of being 6-foot-10. He's also never even sniffed the success that Westbrook has in his career — up to and including last season.
Simmons is the player he was in his early years, but he at least rediscovered some of his utility last season, averaging 5.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Nets and Clippers. He still only shoots as an absolute last resort, but he's a connector who can defend multiple positions.
Westbrook, on the other hand, averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. His adjustment to full-time backup was complicated by the Nuggets needing him to fill in as a starter when Jamal Murray was out, but he made progress. He passed more — averaging 14.3 field goal attempts per 36 minutes, the lowest of his career, and hit 34.2 percent on wide-open 3-pointers.
But looking around, teams still seem to prefer a player who has fully embraced his role, even if his ceiling is much lower. From MVP, and one of the most productive players in league history, to being a backup option for teams that miss out on Ben Simmons.
Ouch.
Which teams could be deciding between Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook?
The Kings, Suns, Knicks and Celtics have all been linked with Simmons, per Fischer, Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein. That group could overlap pretty nicely with interest in Westbrook, although you'd maybe knock out the Knicks who are probably more looking at Simmons for his defense and positional versatility than potential as a lead ball-handler for bench units.
Assuming one of those teams lands Simmons and Westbrook catches on with one of the other three, he'd be entering his 18th season playing for his seventh different team and with a very slim shot at the one honor that has so far eluded him — a championship.