Rockets not interested in Russell Westbrook playing for them

I included a line in there about how the Rockets have zero interest in Westbrook actually playing for them again, but I didn’t properly expound on the buyout that would be required after such a trade. Westbrook is owed $47 million next season. If the Lakers actually reached the point that they were willing to send their 2027 first-round pick to the Rockets to convince them to ship out John Wall and take Westbrook back, it is expected that Westbrook and Houston would swiftly enter buyout talks.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
New @ringer article on Eric Gordon as a trade target, Phoenix’s suddenly deep center rotation, Point Pascal Siakam, Jitty John Konchar, Quentin Grimes, All-Star voting, and some thoughts on @Marc Stein’s intriguing Westbrook/Wall report. theringer.com/nba/2022/1/24/… – 3:57 PM Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
If the #Lakers trade Russell Westbrook, he may already have an exit plan lined up.
#LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/nba-trade-rumo… – 3:27 PM J. Michael Falgoust @ThisIsJMichael
Lakers loss summed up in 3 consecutive plays:
-Can’t recover out of ghost action. Low man stunts but still gives up baseline cutter rather than forcing Tucker to finish on move
-Inducing Westbrook to take open 3 by going under 2
-Actual elite 3p shooter hits contested look 🤷🏽‍ pic.twitter.com/krS0fI7Kx3 – 3:10 PM Eric Pincus @EricPincus
Latest @BleacherReport Latest NBA Trade Intel: Would a John Wall-Westbrook Trade Really Help Lakers? — if the Lakers feel the “need” to get out of RW and are willing to pay a big jump in tax, a Wall swap could open some financial doors bleacherreport.com/articles/29527… – 2:19 PM David Hardisty @clutchfans
This is a great read from @Kevin O’Connor. It accurately describes the trade value of Talen Horton-Tucker, how a Russell Westbrook-John Wall trade would work and why Eric Gordon is the “NBA Trade Deadline Name to Watch”
theringer.com/nba/2022/1/24/… – 2:17 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
Dewayne Dedmon sees Max Strus a little differently after the pull-back cross and three on Westbrook pic.twitter.com/YgXhnxe3su – 9:50 AM StatMuse @statmuse
DeMar DeRozan first 40-piece since 2018.
41 PTS
15-21 FG
0-0 3P
He joins Giannis, Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge and Ben Simmons as the only players with 40+ points without taking a three since 2015. pic.twitter.com/0FsmWB1IUW – 8:36 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
LAL get another bucket, another stop, and 2 bonus FT’s off a defensive rebound that Westbrook hit to cut MIA’s lead to 104-98 with 2:56 to play. – 8:29 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Miami use a 5-point possession, due to a flagrant foul on Westbrook, to take a 26-14 lead with 4:22 left in the 1st Q. – 6:29 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Heat are going after Westbrook on defense, catching him in actions set for Duncan Robinson and giving Butler iso wing possessions against him. – 6:22 PM Bob Garcia @bgarciaivsports
Shaquille O’Neal personally delivered some stern advice to Russell Westbrook.
#Lakers #LakeShow #NBA
sportscasting.com/shaquille-onea… – 3:06 PM The Ringer @ringernba
The solution is simple for Russell Westbrook: focus on spot-up shooting, cutting to the basket, setting screens, and locking in on defense. #TheVoidNBA
📺: https://t.co/bJvPlVcuf4 pic.twitter.com/WH2AD8gluj – 2:11 PM

More on this storyline

Buyout discussions with a player owed more than $50 million are never easy, but it is believed Houston would happily cope with that challenge if it could get the future first-rounder from the Lakers. Reason being: The Rockets, remember, are already facing the same conundrum. Wall is owed $47.4 million next season and hasn’t logged one minute this season after he balked at the limited role Houston offered him. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 24, 2022 I have been advised that I should amend my previous characterization of the Lakers’ finding a Westbrook trade from outright impossible to extremely unlikely. There is at least one team out there that would take him, league sources say, if the conditions are right. That team, surprisingly, is the Houston Rockets. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 21, 2022 I, like many around the league, was previously under the impression that the Rockets would have less than zero interest in a Westbrook reunion after Houston traded Westbrook to Washington for John Wall in December 2020 shortly before the start of last season. I’ve since learned that the Rockets — while indeed holding no interest in having Westbrook play for them again — actually would be amenable to another Westbrook-for-Wall swap if the Lakers incentivized the trade with sufficient draft compensation. -via marcstein.substack.com / January 21, 2022