Another bombshell in the NBA was announced last night as Russell Westbrook was traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul and a plethora of draft picks. The writing was on the wall for Westbrook after Paul George was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers after Kawhi Leonard signed there. It's been stunning to see this kind of movement throughout the league and fans are understandably excited for the upcoming season.
It was initially reported that Westbrook approached the Thunder for a trade after the Geroge deal although according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, that's not the case. In fact, Westbrook talked to the team about a deal after they were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in just five games at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The team has lost in the first round of the playoffs two years in a row now and it was clear that Westbrook didn't really see a future with the team anymore. If Feigen's report is true, it means the Thunder have been preparing for a rebuild for the last couple of months.
As of right now, it appears as though the team is shopping around newly acquired star Chris Paul, who may very well end up with the Miami Heat.