Report: Russell Westbrook intends to sign with Bulls after buyout with Jazz

Saturday update: Westbrook intends to sign with the Bulls after his buyout with the Jazz, according to Brian Windhorst. He will provide some stability for Chicago at the point guard position but his defensive metrics and occasionally reckless play might not bode well for Chicago in long stretches of play. We’ll see how Billy Donovan, Westbrook’s former coach in Oklahoma City, uses him with the Bulls.

The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, but his stint there may be short. According to Chris Haynes, if Westbrook can secure a buyout with Utah, both the Los Angeles Clippers as well as the Chicago Bulls would be interested in signing the veteran guard. Westbrook is averaging 15.9 PPG while shooting 41.7% from the field this season largely off the bench with the Lakers.

The Clippers make sense as a potential landing spot for Westbrook as it’s been clear they are in need of an upgrade at point guard. After missing out on the Kyrie Irving sweepstakes, who landed with the Dallas Mavericks, Westbrook could be a nice backup option to fortify their backcourt. He’s proven durable this season after appearing in 52 games and could provide some stability given that both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have missed time this season.

The Bulls, who are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, also make sense given their thin depth at point guard. Lonzo Ball continues to be sidelined with a knee injury and giving both Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan added reinforcements would bode well for Chicago’s chances of securing a playoff spot or at the very least a play-in-game appearance.