Rockets have chance to make funniest move of the summer

The Houston Rockets have the chance to make the funniest move of the summer if they sign Russell Westbrook with the $14.1 million DPE they get for Fred VanVleet. Pairing up Kevin Durant with Westbrook in 2025 would be very fun to watch. ESPN mentioned the idea in a recent article:

“Houston has an open roster spot and will likely file for a $14.1 million disabled player exception,” ESPN wrote. “If the NBA determines VanVleet is out until mid-June, the league would grant the exception, which would normally allow Houston to sign or trade for a player on a one-year contract.

“However, even if the $14 million exception is granted, Houston would not be allowed to sign a player (such as former Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, for example) into that exception at the moment, because it is just $1.25 million below the first apron. The moves Houston made this offseason hard capped the team at that level.”

Should Rockets sign Russell Westbrook?

Westbrook enjoyed a very successful season with the Denver Nuggets last year, developing a nice chemistry with Nikola Jokic and proving that he deserves a place in the NBA still.

There were plenty of rumors swirling that he could join the Sacramento Kings, but that never came to fruition, and now, Westbrook still isn’t on a team heading into the season.

VanVleet was slated to lead the Rockets’ backcourt this season, and after their success last year, they were projected to be one of the best teams in the NBA. They should still be up there in the standings, but losing VanVleet is a brutal reality to have to deal with.

Houston could definitely look to sign someone with the $14.1 million Designated Player Exception, but Westbrook may not be their best option.

The reason VanVleet works so well in Houston is because of his ball-handling, defensive intensity, but perhaps most significantly, his three-point shooting.

He’s a volume three-point shooter, and considering how little floor spacing the Rockets have on the rest of the roster, that’s crucial. Westbrook doesn’t bring that to the table.

Still, bringing Durant and Westbrook back together after over a decade of time apart would be one of the best storylines in the NBA.

Unfortunately, based on the way the rest of Houston’s roster is constructed, it just doesn’t make a ton of sense, and it seems very unlikely that we will see Durant and Westbrook sharing the same court as teammates next year.