The Miami Heat are the favorites to sign veteran guard Russell Westbrook, who declined his $3.46 million player option with the Denver Nuggets to become an unrestricted free agent.
According to Bovada, the Heat have the best odds (+260) to land Westbrook this offseason. The Dallas Mavericks (+325) and Sacramento Kings (+500) aren’t far behind.
Even Israeli basketball club Hapoel Tel Aviv made the odds list at +900. Their general manager has reached out to Westbrook’s agent, but don’t expect to see the NBA star in Israel anytime soon.
Miami has the financial flexibility to make this work. They’re sitting $11 million below the first apron and $23 million below the second apron in salary cap terms.
What does this mean in plain English? The Heat can offer Westbrook up to $5.6 million without triggering hard cap restrictions. They’ve also got the veteran minimum and three trade exceptions ($7.3 million, $3.1 million, and $2.1 million) to work with.
Who’s in the Running for Westbrook?
Miami Heat: +260
Dallas Mavericks: +325
Sacramento Kings: +500
Golden State Warriors: +750
Orlando Magic: +750
Oklahoma City Thunder: +900
Hapoel Tel Aviv: +900
Toronto Raptors: +1000
The Heat are also juggling other financial considerations. Starting October 1, Tyler Herro can sign a three-year, $149.7 million extension on top of the $64 million he’s already owed over the next two seasons.
If they don’t reach a deal by October 20, Herro could potentially sign an even bigger four-year, $206.9 million extension next offseason.
And if Herro makes an All-NBA team in 2025-26? He’d be eligible for a massive five-year, $380 million supermax deal.
Westbrook’s Health and Recent Performance
Westbrook turns 37 this November and is coming off surgery. Last month, he had an operation to repair multiple ligament tears in his right hand.
In his personal newsletter, Westbrook described the procedure differently, saying he needed to “fix two breaks that happened during the season.” Either way, he’s expected to resume full training this summer.
“The comeback is already in motion,” Westbrook wrote.
His numbers have been declining. This past season with Denver, Westbrook averaged career-lows with 13.3 points per game and a 14.3 player efficiency rating.
He appeared in 75 games for the Nuggets, starting 36 of them. His shooting percentages weren’t great either: 44.9% from the field, 32.3% from three-point range, and just 66.1% at the free throw line.
Despite the decline, Westbrook remains one of the most accomplished players in NBA history.
He’s the all-time leader in triple-doubles with 203. That’s pretty incredible when you think about it.
Westbrook also ranks eighth in NBA history with 9,925 assists and 23rd with 26,205 points.
After 17 seasons in the league, there’s one thing still missing from his resume: an NBA championship. Could Miami be where he finally gets his ring?
