An European basketball reporter by the name Nemanja Zoric tweeted earlier this month the Hapoel Tel Aviv had initial contact with NBA superstar Russell Westbrook. Not just this, he even mentioned that EuroCup champions had thought of a salary never seen before in European basketball. The rumors of his trade intensified when he declined his $3.5 million player option with the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.
European team GM shuts down rumors of Russell Westbrook trade
But, later a report from Vuk-Milos Petrovic of Basketball Sphere disproved the claims made by Nemanja Zoric. During an interview with Petrovic, George Hinas, Hapoel Tel Aviv's general manager said,
That’s 100% fake news. There were numbers mentioned - $50 million per year - which is crazy. To be serious, it’s not true. There was no interest, and no one approached him.
Tel Aviv won the prestigious EuroCup back in April due to which they secured a spot in the EuroLeague, which is arguably the best basketball tournament in whole of Europe. Hinas was looking for reinforcements to go up against the likes of their arch rivals Maccabi Tel Aviv and other championship contending teams. But, Russell Westbrook was never on his radar.
The league triple-double king had a great campaign for the Denver Nuggets last season. He was their best player coming off the bench, as he helped his team push OKC Thunder to a seven game thriller in the playoffs. But, after declining his player option, Westbrook became an unrestricted free agent that allows him to play wherever he wants too.
Sacramento Kings likely to go for Russell Westbrook
During his short stint of one-year with the Denver Nuggets, Russell Westbrook showed that he still has plenty of gas left in him. The 36-year-old point guard averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebound and 1.4 steals per game in the last season.
Adam Wells of the Bleacher Report predicted a team that will likely make a move for Russell Westbrook.
Keon Ellis was the primary starting point guard after Fox was moved, but the offense runs through Domantas Sabonis.
This would actually make Westbrook a good fit for a team because Sabonis’ ability as a passer is similar to Jokic’s, though no one would argue the Kings center is as good as the three-time MVP.
Russell Westbrook is still searching for his first ever championship of his career after being in the league for over 17 years. His best chance of winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy is with Denver Nuggets, who still have the likes of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. If Nuggets can make little tweaks in their roster, then there's a chance that Russell Westbrook stays there.
However, the Sacramento Kings along with other teams are reportedly interested in acquiring the services of the veteran as a starter or coming off the bench.