Prior to being traded to the Houston Rockets Thursday night, Russell Westbrook reportedly included the New York Knicks on his preferred destination list, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
Once Paul George was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers, Westbrook and his agent began working with general manager Sam Presti on a resolution with a trade becoming increasingly likely.
The Miami Heat emerged as the apparent favorite to land Westbrook but talks between the two teams came to an impasse and the former MVP was eventually moved to Houston.
Of course, the trade reunites Westbrook with former teammate James Harden. It has been said the two were in communication early this week and began working to have Westbrook moved to Houston.
As it became increasingly clear that the Thunder were going to trade Westbrook, many believed Presti would work with Westbrook to accommodate his wish to be traded to a contender.
While Miami had interest in acquiring Westbrook, it wasn’t clear if the Knicks felt the same way for the longtime Thunder point guard. As outlined by Begley, the Knicks would have had to wait until Dec. 15 to make a trade to include their recently-signed free agents in order to make the salaries match in the deal.
After moving on from Westbrook and George, the Thunder received a monumental haul for the two All-NBA players, including an additional eight first-round picks.
The Thunder may now look to move Chris Paul.
