Dewey s old dream is hard to come true! Three reasons why Westbrook is unlikely to return to the Rockets

Translator's Note: The original article was published in The Athletic. The data in the article are as of the time of the original article (October 9, local time). The dates and times involved are all local times.

Since Fred VanVleet fell down with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee before the start of training camp, people inside and outside the NBA have been looking for a proven starting point guard who can step up and bring valuable stability to this team that is aiming to compete for the championship.

Frankly, no one on the Rockets' roster fits that description. Despite the addition of superstar forward Kevin Durant and the maturation of All-Star center Alperon Shinkyung, the Rockets still need a reliable ball-handling option who won't be intimidated by the spotlight and can execute plays when the game slows down.

Considering the team's obvious shortcomings, it's not surprising that some online are trying to link the Rockets to the biggest point guard on the free market, Russell Westbrook.

Part of the push for Westbrook to return to the Rockets, where he played for one season in 2019-20, is that some see it as a long-awaited reunion between Durant and Westbrook after their legendary eight-year partnership with the Thunder ended on bad terms.

On Wednesday, while participating in Kay Adams' "Up & Adams" program, Durant talked about the possibility of Westbrook and the Rockets joining forces, which fueled related speculation. Durant admitted he's heard some rumors, but said any talk of signing Westbrook "hasn't come to me at all."

"Usually when something like that happens, there's a lot of noise. I really haven't heard anything except what the fans online said," Durant said. "Russell Westbrook is a legend. I think he deserves to stay in the NBA and he deserves to be able to do it the way he wants. But that's not for me to decide." While it would be emotional to see Durant and Westbrook (as well as former Thunder players Jeff Green and Steven Adams) wearing the same uniform again, all signs point to this teaming up being extremely unlikely for a number of reasons.

Although the Rockets would prefer to have a veteran point guard with playoff experience, the team used the top five picks in 2023 and 2024 to select Amen Thompson and Reed Shepard respectively. While VanVleet's injury is an unfortunate blow, his absence will provide a stage for Thompson and Shepard to showcase their abilities and clarify their roles in the team's plan.

Thompson just played an explosive season. He averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, and ranked fifth in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. The Rockets believe Thompson still has huge potential to tap into, and hope that thrusting him into the starting point guard position will push him to reach new heights.

Although Sheppard's playing time was limited as a rookie last season, the Rockets praised his behind-the-scenes efforts to improve his skills and physical fitness. He was also one of the team's highlights in training camp, showing greater confidence on both ends of the floor.

Bringing in another veteran, especially Westbrook, would deprive these young people of the opportunity to grow and learn in actual combat.

In addition, there are financial issues. After all operations are completed during the offseason, the Rockets' total salary is still about US$1.2 million away from the top line. Any signing they make at this point — let alone offering Westbrook a contract worth more than $3.5 million — would put them above the No. 1 luxury line, which would create a host of roster-building restrictions.

But even if the Rockets wanted to trigger the first line of wealthy players, they could not do it because they were restricted by the hard salary cap after acquiring veteran center Clint Capela through a sign-and-trade in the offseason. The hard salary cap means that once a team acquires a player through a sign-and-trade or using the luxury tax mid-level exception, their total salary cannot exceed the first-rich line throughout the season.

Therefore, the only way for the Rockets to sign Westbrook or anyone else through the free market is to trade some guaranteed contracts among the laggards to make room for the No. 1 tycoon.

The problem with this idea is that nine players on the current roster are not eligible for trade because they either signed new contracts with the Rockets during the offseason or signed early extensions. Before December 15, the only players the Rockets could send away in the trade were Durant, Shen Jing, Thompson, Shepard and Tari Eason. It's safe to say the Rockets won't trade any of these players to make room for Westbrook.

Additionally, Westbrook isn't a perfect fit for this team, considering how much of a concern spacing has become after losing VanVleet. Can the Rockets really put Thompson and Westbrook, or Capela or Adams and Westbrook on the court at the same time without clogging the paint?

Although Westbrook has received considerable criticism online, he can still bring value with his experience and unremitting hard work. He injected energy into the Nuggets last season, which was exactly what a team that occasionally seemed sluggish needed.

As fun as it is to imagine Durant and Westbrook reuniting, in real life, the likelihood of that happening is slim to none.

Author: William Guillory

Translator: GWayNe