Bulls 'front-runner' to land Russell Westbrook, whose final Lakers contribution won't be forgotten
Emily Baldwin The Chicago Bulls are reported "front-runners" to land former Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook in the NBA buyout market, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Westbrook, 34, would be able to reunite with former head coach Bill Donovan, who has consistently praised his ex-pupil.
LeBron James practices Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook as he takes on all-time record@michaelcorvoNBA
Donovan, 57, coached Westbrook for four of the guard's five seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including his MVP year in the 2016-17 season.
"One team you've got to watch and will be a front-runner is the Chicago Bulls," Woj said on NBA Today. "Billy Donovan, their head coach, certainly coached Westbrook in Oklahoma City. And go further down his bench -- Mo Cheeks, Josh Longstaff.
"There's a staff of former OKC assistants who all had good relationships and worked well with Westbrook. With the Bulls, you can certainly see how he fits just bringing some energy and some fire to that team's bench."
Russell Westbrook's final contribution to Lakers
Even though Brody's tenure with the Lakers was disappointing and came to an abrupt end, fans of the Purple & Gold will be forced to remember him.
Westbrook's final contribution to the Lake Show was assisting LeBron James on his basket to become the all-time scoring leader in NBA history, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
A lot will be said about that night, especially after Westbrook's reported altercation with head coach Darvin Ham at halftime, which was likely the straw that broke the camel's back.
Westbrook also did not look as enthusiastic as his other teammates when James broke the record. While Anthony Davis explained his reasoning for not showing excitement, it's clear that Westbrook had already checked out.
Russell Westbrook could choose to stay in LA
When the Utah Jazz decide to send Westbrook to the buyout market, he will be able to choose where to go from three potential suitors.
A reunion with Donovan seems ideal for Brody, but he could also stay in Los Angeles to team up with two All-Star players in the Clippers' Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue has been in desperate need of a point guard for a couple of seasons, so Westbrook might be the answer.
The question now is if Westbrook is still willing to accept a smaller role and paycheck moving forward with whichever team he lands.
