How Russell Westbrook Would Fit In With Jimmy Butler In Miami

Now that Miami Heat has Jimmy Butler, the team is reportedly looking to pair him with Oklahoma City Thunder franchise player Russell Westbrook.

Shortly after news of Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers' “massive” deal broke along with Kawhi Leonard’s decision to play for the Clips, buzz about Westbrook being targeted by the Miami Heat started to heighten. Sources told Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that Westbrook, who is now the lone star in Oklahoma City, could be shipped out of the team anytime soon and that the Heat is apparently Westbrook’s early suitor.

While Westbrook leaving the team that appears to have been loyal to him all throughout his entire NBA career sounds a bit surprising at this point, sources claimed that the Heat, on the other hand, has been chasing a number of NBA stars since they managed to trade for their new superstar, Jimmy Butler.

However, the Westbrook to Heat deal will first depend on how interested the Thunder are in letting go of the man who has been the face of their franchise for quite some time, Heat Nation reported.

With the biggest names in the NBA now switching teams, it is not impossible for a superstar like Westbrook to make this Heat deal become a reality in the future. Assuming that the deal will really happen, it will bring out more questions and possibilities about the Butler-Westbrook duo before they even play together next season.

First off, both are incredibly strong personalities who love to have the ball in their hands during crunch time. This could be one of the on-court issues the Heat may have to deal with all throughout the season, Heat Nation noted.

Russell Westbrook recorded a 20-20-20 game as the Thunder beat the Lakers. In this picture, Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Team Giannis reacts in the first half during the NBA All-Star game as part of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Feb. 17, 2019. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Butler has had a good run with the Philadelphia 76ers last season in which the four-time All Star averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Westbrook, on the other hand, averaged 22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game in the 2018-19 campaign. However, despite his consistent dominance and huge numbers, the former MVP has proven last season that a team-up with a scoring guard like Paul George is not the structure that could win playoff games.

Regardless of what Butler and Westbrook have done in the past season, the two can really make a new Eastern Conference duo that could match the newly built Leonard-George tandem.