​Heat named as a top landing spot for the $349 million ex-Lakers guard, a nine-time All-Star, originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. Despite landing a generational 6-foot-11 ex-Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster offseason acquisition, the Miami Heat aren’t finished shaping their roster yet.
The three-time NBA champions find themselves in a tight race to sign former Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, and a report from Heavy’s Sean Deveney suggests the future Hall of Famer’s contemplated free-agent move could materialize sooner rather than later. James’ former Lakers teammate, Russell Westbrook (who has earned $349 million in his career to date), has also been linked to Miami in recent chatter. Yet The New York Post’s Stefan Bondy pointed out that the Heat pursuing Westbrook could quickly become unlikely if James commits to Miami. “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 Kings.”
Meanwhile, James is weighing his free-agent options, with Miami, Cleveland, and Philadelphia regarded as the frontrunners. Bondy reminded readers that Westbrook and James shared a Lakers locker room for 1.5 seasons and endured a stuttered run, winning just 33 games and dropping to 11th in the West during the 2021-22 season. Bondy’s reporting suggests that the Heat would be prudent to avoid Westbrook if they ultimately land James, given their prior on-court chemistry and the challenges that pairing Westbrook with James could present.
Yet Westbrook’s career arc deserves recognition. He has lately served as a valuable spark plug off the bench for the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings, displaying continued elite speed, boundless energy, and an infectious energy on both ends of the floor as he has aged. There’s a plausible path for Westbrook to reprise a similar role with the Heat in the 2026-27 season, should James’ NBA future take them in a different direction—or should Miami land James and decide Westbrook isn’t a necessary piece to complete the championship puzzle.
As this drama unfolds, there are more NBA developments to monitor: the 76ers officially outlasting the Lakers and Spurs to secure a $38 million ex-Cavaliers elite defender; the Celtics finalizing the signing of a $295 million ex-Jazz All-Star guard to bolster Jayson Tatum’s lineup; and the Knicks officially outdueling the Lakers for a historic 6-foot-5 playoff hero who could become an NBA champion. These moves all shape the evolving landscape as teams chase gold in the coming season, with the Heat squarely in the thick of the competition for James, while Westbrook’s future remains a variable contingent on how the landscape shifts around him and whether Miami decides to pursue him as a complementary piece or a veteran spark plug.