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In a long-anticipated move, the Oklahoma City Thunder said goodbye to a longtime starter. They traded Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal. In return, the move helped them get underneath the second apron. It also suddenly opened up a roster spot.
Thunder fans should take all the time they need to mourn over Dort's exit. The 27-year-old is one of OKC's best developmental stories ever. He went from an undrafted two-way rookie to an All-Defense member and NBA champion.
But once folks are ready to flip the page, it'll be interesting to see what the Thunder do with their open roster spot. Do they just roll with things as they stand by the start of the 2026-27 season? Or do they finally make an outside addition after a summer filled with shedding salary and moving on from three familiar faces?
If it's the former, it's not going to take long for someone to brainstorm a Russell Westbrook reunion. Ever since he left the Thunder in 2019, that's been in the back of everybody's minds. Perhaps now is the time for the 37-year-old to have his storybook ending to his Hall-of-Fame career.
The former MVP winner has bounced around the league over the last half-decade. Westbrook has had one-year stops at several places. With the latest being on the bottom-barrel Sacramento Kings this past season. Running out of options, the Thunder could add their franchise-record leader for most stats on a one-year retirement tour. But should they?
Ehh. I wouldn't count on it.
Westbrook is just too big of a personality to have as your 15th man on the roster. Especially in OKC. As critical as it might sound, the Thunder can't afford a big distraction like that. Locker room dynamics are a precious intangible to take care of. Inviting the nine-time NBA All-Star back to his old home can undercut a lot of what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company have built — fair or not.
And if you're the Thunder, your ideal 15th man on the roster is somebody cool not playing most games. Perhaps a little-known veteran like Kenrich Williams or a young prospect like Aday Mara or Thomas Sorber or Nikola Topic. But adding Westbrook — who's a household name everywhere — adds an element that could cause a larger distraction that tips the scales closer to being a risk than a reward.
Look, Westbrook is a Thunder legend. He spent his first nine seasons there. Alongside Kevin Durant, the duo co-starred in OKC's first title contender that had one NBA Finals trip and four Western Conference Finals appearances. They weren't able to bring home a Larry O'Brien trophy, but that doesn't diminish the rich success they brought from the moment they landed in the small market in 2008. He'll surely get his No. 0 jersey retired and all of that.
But sometimes, storybook endings for individual players don't align with an NBA franchise's goals. As sweet as it'd be to see Westbrook suit up for the Thunder again, don't expect it to happen. Both sides have happily moved on. Seven years later, you still see the basketball pantheon give back to his first NBA home.
You don't want to risk ruining that relationship over something as trivial as one last year in OKC. Whenever Westbrook is ready to hang up the sneakers, a ceremonious one-day contract should await him from the Thunder.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Does a Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder reunion make sense with open roster spot?
