Report: Heat ‘absolutely like’ Russell Westbrook

As the NBA turns its attention to the possibility of a Russell Westbrook trade this summer, one team is apparently at least keeping an open mind if he hits the market.

According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat “absolutely like” Westbrook, but that is as far as things are going for now.

Been made clear to us this afternoon that Heat officials absolutely like Westbrook. We'll see where it leads, if anywhere

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) July 6, 2019

To be clear, it’s almost certainly too soon for teams to be lining up for Westbrook. The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t even committed to trading him yet, though it’s certainly a topic of discussion. The Thunder will likely have to decide how serious they are about putting Westbrook on the market, and once they make that decision, they’ll gauge the market. Miami, a team that has already added Jimmy Butler this summer, will apparently keep an eye on those developments.