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HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 24: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Miami Heat<\/a>\u2018s pursuit of LeBron James<\/a> continues to dominate the franchise\u2019s offseason.<\/p>\n But while Pat Riley waits for the four-time NBA<\/a> MVP to make his decision, Miami appears to be quietly preparing for the possibility that James ultimately signs elsewhere.<\/p>\n According to the New York Post\u2019s Stefan Bondy<\/a>, league sources identified Russell Westbrook<\/a> as a candidate for the Heat\u2014though only if James does not choose Miami.<\/p>\n The report suggests Westbrook has joined DeMar DeRozan<\/a> on Miami\u2019s growing list of contingency options<\/a> should its pursuit of James fall short.<\/p>\n Heat Keeping Multiple Paths Open<\/p>\n Miami has been consistently mentioned among James\u2019 preferred destinations, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> and Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Heat, however, have shown no indication they intend to sit idle while awaiting his decision.<\/p>\n Earlier this week, ESPN\u2019s Brian Windhorst<\/a>\u00a0reported that DeRozan had emerged as a realistic fallback option<\/a> if James signs elsewhere. Bondy\u2019s reporting now places Westbrook in that same category.<\/p>\n The distinction is notable.<\/p>\n According to Bondy\u2019s report, Westbrook is viewed as an alternative\u2014not a complementary addition alongside James.<\/p>\n Why Westbrook Fits Miami\u2019s Current Needs Getty\u00a0Former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook is on the Miami Heat\u2019s radar as a fallback option if LeBron James decides to join another team.<\/p>\n The Heat suddenly have more questions in their backcourt than they did just a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n Miami sent former All-Star Tyler Herro<\/a> to the Milwaukee Bucks<\/a> as part of the blockbuster trade that landed two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Heat also were unable to retain Norman Powell<\/a>, who signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Chicago Bulls<\/a> after Miami\u2019s financial flexibility became limited following the Antetokounmpo trade.<\/p>\n Even after signing Tim Hardaway<\/a> Jr., the Heat still have at least two open roster spots and remain about $10.5 million below the first-apron hard cap, leaving room to add another veteran.<\/p>\n Westbrook could address two of Miami\u2019s biggest needs: secondary ball-handling and playmaking.<\/p>\n The former league MVP averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 64 games with the Sacramento Kings<\/a> last season. His efficiency dipped\u2014he shot 42.7% from the field while averaging 3.3 turnovers\u2014but he continued to provide pace, rebounding and veteran leadership.<\/p>\n He also has familiarity with another reported Miami target.<\/p>\n Westbrook and DeRozan were teammates in Sacramento last season, giving the Heat two experienced veterans who already know how to play together if James ultimately lands elsewhere.<\/p>\n LeBron James\u2019 Decision Still Drives Everything<\/p>\n For now, Miami\u2019s offseason remains centered on James.<\/p>\n Westbrook\u2019s history with James in Los Angeles likely explains why Bondy\u2019s report frames the two as separate scenarios rather than potential teammates. The Lakers<\/a>\u2018 experiment pairing the former MVPs never met expectations<\/a> before Westbrook was eventually moved.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Westbrook continues to draw interest elsewhere. NBA insider Jake Fischer recently reported that Washington had shown a \u201clevel of interest\u201d in bringing back the former Wizards<\/a> guard, though Fischer said Saturday during a Bleacher Report livestream<\/a> that the Wizards\u2019 addition of Khris Middleton<\/a> may have lessened the chances of a reunion.<\/p>\n That leaves Miami with options.<\/p>\n Whether Riley ultimately lands James or pivots to a veteran alternative such as DeRozan or Westbrook, the Heat appear intent on adding another experienced playmaker to complement Antetokounmpo before training camp opens.<\/p>\n The priority remains clear.<\/p>\n Everything else depends on LeBron James\u2019 decision.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 24: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":337761,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[123,125,124],"class_list":["post-337760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=337760"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/337760\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/337761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=337760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=337760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=337760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2264307383_e503ee.jpg\")
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