NBA Opinion: Russell Westbrook Wants To Leave OKC Due To Trust Issues

Russell Westbrook does not trust his teammates in Oklahoma City Thunder anymore, according to ESPN’s Tim Legler.

Westbrook immediately became the next hottest topic in the NBA after his OKC Thunder co-star Paul George’s move to Los Angeles Clippers. And now that the former MVP is reportedly opting to leave the Thunder as well, NBA insiders are already digging deeper on the factors that caused Westbrook’s sudden desire to find a new team.

In a recent episode of ESPN’s "Stephen A. Smith Show", veteran sports analyst Tim Legler boldly discussed the possible reason why Westbrook badly wants to part ways with OKC. Legler stated that Westbrook was his favorite player for several years but it was changed a bit when he “realized” that the Thunder superstar “doesn’t have enough trust” in his teammates.

“He was my favorite player for 2 or 3 years in a row, just because of the effort, the consistency with what I knew I was gonna get when I watch him for two and a half hours,” Legler stated.

The analyst then revealed when and why he started to see Westbrook differently.

“I turn the corner a little bit on him this year. I think his demeanour, his leadership and the more you watch him, the more you realize he doesn’t have enough trust in guys he plays with, and the harder he tries sometimes the more it snowballs the other way,” Legler said.

While it is hard to assume that Westbrook has trust issues with his teammates in OKC, it is quite evident lately that he is not willing to stay and play with them any longer.

Notably, in an episode of ESPN's "The Jump", former NBA Finals MVP’s Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups gave their own opinions on where Westbrook should go if he really wants to leave his current team.

According to Pierce, there is no better landing spot for the former MVP but the New York Knicks. Pierce said that the Knicks badly needs a star in their roster and the fact that they have missed out on Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson and Kyrie Irving is enough already to make them sign Westbrook.

Billups on the other hand, had a different take. As per Billups, the Miami Heat is the best landing spot for Westbrook as he “would need another star” to win games, and the fact that Jimmy Butler is already in Miami “makes a lot of sense”.