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LeBron's Arrival Could Block Westbrook in Miami
12 Jul
Summary
- Westbrook's 2025-26 season with Kings ended early due to injury.
- LeBron James is considering Miami, complicating Westbrook's Heat interest.
- Westbrook and James' past Lakers partnership fell short of expectations.
Russell Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, is preparing for his 18th season as a free agent, having played with the Sacramento Kings in 2025-26. Despite no longer being in his athletic prime, Westbrook demonstrated his continued effectiveness by averaging 15.2 points over 64 games before a wrist injury concluded his season early.
His performance has attracted interest from teams looking to bolster their backcourt for the upcoming 2026-27 season. The Miami Heat are among those considering Westbrook, potentially to lead their second unit and provide backcourt depth alongside projected starting point guard Davion Mitchell.
However, a significant complication has emerged: LeBron James is reportedly considering Miami as his next team after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Sources indicate that James' potential move to South Beach could prevent Westbrook from joining the Heat.
Westbrook and James previously played together for one and a half seasons with the Lakers. This partnership, which began in the summer of 2021, did not meet expectations, with the team missing the playoffs in their first season together.
