Aug. 3, 2026, 12:15 p.m. CT<\/p>\n
A reunion between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Houston would not be well-advised, however; one former Rocket seems to think it’s a good idea. Joe Johnson, a 20-year NBA veteran who played one season with the Rockets, recently endorsed the idea of Houston adding the nine-time All-Star, saying<\/a>, “I\u2019m taking that gamble because look, think about this. Even if Fred VanVleet, I\u2019m sure he will start the season, but he just came off of ACL surgery. Y\u2019all going to run him in the ground for 82 games. And what is he going to be able to get you in the postseason? Nothing. So, you got to have some depth at that point guard position.”<\/p>\n While Johnson was an incredible NBA talent in his day, earning seven All-Star selections, his comments provided poor analysis to say the least. To begin with, the Rockets already addressed point guard depth this offseason in the form of veteran point guard Marcus Smart in addition to Bruce Thornton, the recent No. 31 overall pick. Furthermore, to claim former NBA champion and All-Star Fred VanVleet will have “nothing” to offer in the playoffs is not only ludicrous but also extremely unfair.<\/p>\n Moving on to why Westbrook would be a poor fit, reports from anonymous scouts and executives have advocated against bringing in the 2016-17 MVP, with one NBA scout saying<\/a>, “I wouldn’t touch him in a million years.”<\/p>\n In 64 games for Sacramento last season, Westbrook played 29 minutes per game, averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 42.7% from the field and 33.8% from 3-point range. Westbrook has tallied a negative plus-minus in five of the last six seasons despite playing on a few contenders, including a career-worst -456 campaign with the Kings last year. Westbrook’s shooting has continually been an issue as his career ages, shooting 30.8% from beyond the arc in 18 seasons. In crunch time last season, Westbrook converted on 18.8% of his 3-pointers, the fifth-worst mark throughout the NBA with a minimum of 15 attempts.<\/p>\n While Russell Westbrook was nothing short of an NBA superstar at his peak, the future Hall of Famer’s production and reputation do not justify the risk, especially when considering Houston’s recent point guard additions and Westbrook’s previous rift with Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n