The Los Angeles Clippers suffered a heartbreaking 2015-16 NBA season. Despite bringing back the core team of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, injuries and league suspensions halted the dreams of Doc Rivers to take down Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors. However, it looks like the NBA offseason will be pivotal for the Paul Pierce team as Russell Westbrook, who recently underwent a painful breakup for Kevin Durant in Oklahoma, might just be signing with the Los Angeles Clippers soon.
The Kevin Durant free agency decision landed the Oklahoma City Thunder in a difficult position as they are now left with only one superstar - Russell Westbrook. However, it looks like the OKC NBA-All Star might not be there long as the Los Angeles Clippers are said to be eyeing a trade with the Dion Waiters team. Given the talks that the Oklahoma team is planning a rebuild in the next seasons, an NBA trade involving one of their biggest stars will allow them to sign key players. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers are running out of time to prove their mettle in the league. Hence, a Russell Westbrook trade might be the best option for both NBA teams at the moment.
Right now, however, the Russell Westbrook trade rumors have yet to be corroborated by both parties. As of this writing, the Oklahoma City Thunder have not expressed any official confirmation that the Kevin Durant exit will be followed by another NBA-All star getting off the roster. Moreover, league sources feel that the NBA trade rumors lean more on the analysis of fans than actual negotiations.
"So this thing has to play out," said Chris Broussard of ESPN. He added, "There's nothing right now to those trade rumors. But it just makes a lot of sense and there's a lot of scuttlebutt and speculation about it around the league. People are kinda putting things together saying this would make sense, that would make sense. But there's nothing tangible at this point."
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers might be targeting yet another member of the Oklahoma Ciy Thunder lineup - Dion Waiters. Currently, Waiters is a free agent. While it remains to be seen if he re-signs the Russell Westbrook squad, rumors are rife his return to Oklahoma is imminent. However, it seems that he is now getting frustrated over the lack of urgency from the NBA team.
Pretty much like the situation in Miami Heat, where the focus on Kevin Durant and Hassan Whiteside pushed Dwyane Wade away and into the Chicago Bulls, the Oklahoma City Thunder front office has been warned of a potential Dion Waiters exit. If this happens, DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce are reportedly waiting to offer him a spot in the Los Angeles Clippers roster.
