The Phoenix Suns are not having the season that they envisioned to this point, but one area they certainly did not slip up is with the point guards they signed during the offseason. The organization doing an amazing job of firstly adding Monte Morris, before backing that up with the even more impressive Tyus Jones.
Jones has been the team's third best player for much of this season, bringing a ton of consistency at a time when the Suns have had to deal with plenty of injury setbacks. He has started every game - and although the turnover issues still haven't been fixed - Jones has done his part to keep the team humming offensively each night.
But what if the Suns had signed Russell Westbrook?
It sounds ridiculous at first glance, and there certainly weren't many suitors for his services during the summer. But since landing with the Denver Nuggets on a two-year deal worth over $6 million - which we will return to - he has done well to rehab his value somewhat. Is it a coincidence that the Nuggets have taken a step back this season, and are no longer viewed as true contenders?
Perhaps not, although that is as much - if not more - to do with the regression of Jamal Murray, expecting guys like Christian Braun to take a significant step forward, and losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from their starting five. Despite all of that Westbrook is generally coming off the bench and giving them some juice with 12 points and 6.4 assists each night.
Russell Westbrook made the extra-effort, hustle, winning plays when no other Nuggets wanted to. pic.twitter.com/T130oHd78v
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) December 23, 2024
Most importantly of all though from the perspective of the Suns, he has a skill they sorely lack right now. Urgency. You can think what you want about where Westbrook is at in his career right now - those 3-point heaves are as unsightly as ever - but you can never question his motor or willingness to care about a random game in Charlotte in November.
Exactly what the Suns have not done, having dropped back-to-back games against the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. Sure Devin Booker exited that Pistons game with a groin strain, but this team still had Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal out there. If Westbrook was coming off the bench, it would be a completely different story.
It would have involved him taking the minimum to go to Phoenix, which granted he may not have done. But for a guy who has made as much money as Westbrook has, the difference between $3 million in a year and the minimum of $2.07 million is not a whole lot. Even better, the organization could have still landed Jones - and even started him - with Westbrook replacing Morris.
The question of teaming up with Durant again would have to be navigated, but it also could have been a fitting end to what might be the last stop in both of their careers. Westbrook regressed badly and bounced around the league after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder, while Durant is below .500 in playoff games since departing the Golden State Warriors.
Seeing the pair come together again would have been cool, but from a practical point of view it makes a lot of sense too. Westbrook somehow possesses a lot of what The Valley needs right now, and he was potentially available on the kind of deal that they could have even signed him to this offseason. Outside of the Nuggets, it is hard to believe there was much competition either.
Ahead of back-to-back meetings between the Suns and Nuggets around Christmas, it will be fascinating to see if Westbrook can do what Josh Hart and his New York Knicks, plus the Orlando Magic, Pacers and Pistons already have. Outwork the Suns and prove that they're nothing more than a soft, jump-shooting team. Hard as it may be to believe, Westbrook could have helped fix that.