Russell Westbrook, the triple-double king, is expected to be bought out by the Utah Jazz later this week after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers. Calling the Westbrook-James-Davis trio a failure is an understatement, but that didn’t come as a surprise to many when the original trade was announced that Westbrook would go to the Lakers.

According to Chris Haynes from Bleacher Report, three teams are interested in signing Russell Westbrook: Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and the Miami Heat. Haynes hinted the Clippers stockpiled talent at the trade deadline, notably Bones Hyland. They could be out of the Russell Westbrook ‘sweepstakes’. I say that with a gentle tone of humor.

Why The Bulls Could Be The Favorites To Land Westbrook

Russell Westbrook became the triple-double king under the watch of Billy Donovan. The best basketball of his career came during the stretch when Donovan was his coach. No other coach could figure out Westbrook besides the Bulls’ current head coach. Westbrook is not only playing for a new contract, but he’s playing to prove he belongs in this league. Russell Westbrook has just a few weeks remaining on his deal until he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Why wouldn’t he join the situation that puts him in the best position to succeed?

While the Bulls have depth in the backcourt, they lack high-level talent. They’ve convinced themselves a point guard rotation of Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Goran Dragic, and Alex Caruso is a good thing. Well, it’s not, which is why the Bulls are barely sitting in the play-in tournament picture. It may sound ridiculous now, but it’s possible Westbrook not only cracks the rotation but could find himself in the starting lineup if he impacts the game in a positive way. If Westbrook believes he has a better shot at starting over Bones Hyland with the Clippers or Kyle Lowry with the Heat, those teams could become a more serious option. For now, beating Ayo Dosunmu for the starting job sounds much simpler.