Over the past few weeks, multiple reunions have been made in the NBA. First it was Damian Lillard eventually signing a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Then it was later Chris Paul signing with the Los Angeles Clippers in the final year of his career. These point guard reunions with their former teams have ignited some interest from fans as they now hope to see Russell Westbrook return to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It can be remembered that Westbrook played against the Thunder last playoffs in their Western Conference Semifinals clash, with the guard helping the Denver Nuggets push the said series to a seven-game epic. But with the former not signing him to a new contract, it seems that Westbrook would be in for a new team moving forward. With the recent reunion trend between veteran guards, the former Denver playmaker is now linked to Oklahoma City.

OKC is fresh off its first championship in the Thunder era. The team has notably not made any moves to acquire anyone in the market. They only handed extensions to key stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, as well as a few role players. But no signing has yet been made on their end.

The Reunion Hype

Paul is entering the final year of his NBA career, and so it was obvious that he would be playing for a winner with the hopes of landing one last chance to win an NBA title, with his last run ending in a futile finish in 2021 against the Milwaukee Bucks, losing the series in six games. With the San Antonio Spurs entering full-youth status, it made sense to let go of Paul, and the latter found his way to a contending Clippers side.

On the other hand, Lillard got his Achilles torn in the previous playoffs, and while he was still on contract with the Bucks, only to have it waived by Milwaukee to make way for the signing of Myles Turner. He eventually agreed to a three-year deal with his former team in the Trail Blazers, who now looked like a legitimate contender heading into the season.

So with Westbrook, the rumors seem to be gaining traction at this point. OKC has enough cap space to sign him to a minimum, and it definitely fits the bill for the former Thunder guard to be a solid force off the bench for OKC. That is, if Oklahoma City actually considers bringing in the guard for one last shot at a title of his own.

Can Westbrook Fit with the Thunder?

Not long ago, Westbrook was at the helm for the Thunder in its early era. He was the face of the franchise for years and led them to multiple playoff runs, even becoming the triple-double king with multiple seasons of the said feat, which proved to be the biggest achievement of his career.

But with his current level of play, it is a bit rough to say if he's going to fit with the Thunder's play style. OKC runs a dynamic offense that relies on energy and hustle plays. That definitely puts Westbrook at an advantage as he plays with explosiveness and brute force.

Despite his so-called decline since moving on from the Washington Wizards, Westbrook still proved to be a solid performer for the Nuggets at times. Last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game, which is quite satisfactory with him coming off the bench for Denver.