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Despite acquiring generational 6-foot-11 ex-Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade to start the offseason, the Miami Heat aren’t done making moves yet.
The three-time NBA champions are in a tight race to sign former Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, and per a report from Heavy’s Sean Deveney, the future Hall of Famer’s game-changing free agency decision could come sooner than expected.
James’ former Lakers teammate, Russell Westbrook (who’s made $349 million in his career thus far), has also been linked to Miami recently. However, The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy noted that the idea of the Heat bringing the nine-time All-Star on board could soon become unrealistic.
“According to a league source, Russell Westbrook is a candidate to join the Heat but not if LeBron signs in Miami,” Bondy wrote Sunday. “Westbrook, 37, is a diminished version of his former MVP self but still averaged 15.2 points over 64 games last season with the (Sacramento) Kings.”
“James, meanwhile, is sifting through his options in free agency. Miami, Cleveland (Cavaliers), and Philadelphia (76ers) are considered the front-runners. Westbrook and James were teammates with the Lakers for 1.5 seasons and struggled, winning just 33 games and falling to 11th in the West in 2021-22.”
As Bondy noted in his report, Westbrook and James’ previous partnership was a colossal failure, making it wise for the Heat to steer clear of Westbrook if they win the James sweepstakes.
To Westbrook’s credit, he has been a useful spark plug off the bench for the Denver Nuggets and Kings the past few seasons, showcasing his remarkable end-to-end speed as an aging contributor and infectious energy on both ends of the floor.
The former Oklahoma City Thunder star could perform a similar role with the Heat in 2026-27, but again, it’ll depend on what James’ NBA future holds.
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