The Mavericks need a reliable point guard, can Westbrook become a good transitional candidate?

Bleacher Report reporter Adam Wells talked about Russell Westbrook in his latest article, and he believes Westbrook should be a candidate that the Dallas Mavericks can focus on this summer. Wells said: Of course some people would say that it is not appropriate to go to Dallas in Westbrook. The Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, and they will almost certainly use this to win Cooper Flagg. If Flag was really chosen by the Mavericks, no matter what they do next season, they would first have to think about how to train Flag into the team's signature star. A ball-control style like Westbrook, which focuses on ball control, is not necessarily conducive to the growth of young players. Although he has adjusted his style to some extent this season, the Mavericks are not as capable of attracting opponents' focus on defense like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

Wells continued: If Kyrie Irving can return as scheduled in January next year, then suppose the Mavericks can sign Westbrook with a basic salary contract and let him serve as starting point guard for a while before January next year. When Irving comes back, he will be asked to play as a substitute. This is a reasonable use of resources for the Mavericks. When Irving returns, Westbrook may not have to play back-to-back games. Even though Westbrook is no longer as brave as he was, he can still become a good transitional candidate today.

In the NBA regular season this season, Westbrook made a total of 75 appearances in 82 games, averaging 27.9 minutes per game, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks, and 3.2 turnovers and 2.5 fouls. His shooting percentage was 44.9%, three-point shooting percentage was 32.3%, and free throw shooting percentage was 66.1%. In the playoffs, Westbrook made a total of 14 appearances, averaging 24.1 minutes per game, averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.1 blocks. He also had 2.3 turnovers and 3.2 fouls. His shooting percentage was 39.1%, three-point shooting percentage was 31.7%, and his free throw shooting percentage was 70%.

Westbrook performed well during the regular season, and his performance in the first round of the Los Angeles Clippers during the playoffs is also worthy of recognition. However, in the Western Conference semi-finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Westbrook's performance also declined sharply. His offensive efficiency was a mess, his three-point shooting percentage was terrible, and he also fully exposed his weaknesses. Previously, Westbrook decided not to execute the player option in his contract next season and became a free agent. I wonder how he will choose his next stop this summer. Will he consider the possibility of joining the Mavericks?