The [Boston Celtics](https://nesn.com/boston-celtics) are apparently considering signing Bradley Beal in free agency.
It's a move that might necessitate some roster movement -- maybe even with the newly signed Mike Conley.
But if that's going to happen, and Conley is going to have to be shoved aside for a different veteran guard, is Beal really the best choice?
Because also still a free agent is Russell Westbrook.
And now yes, it's fair to scoff a bit at the idea of Russ joining a contender at this point in his career.
But we aren't talking about a lead role. We're talking about a guy who can come off the bench and make the players around him better.
Beal, for all the talents he had at his peak, isn't much more than a scorer at this point, and if he struggles with efficiency, then what is he accomplishing for a team?
Westbrook, on the other hand, can still score, can still rebound and can still pass.
**MORE:** [2 players stopped Celtics from trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo](https://nesn.com/boston-celtics/news/celtics-giannis-antetokounmpo-trade-failed-because-hugo-gonzalez-baylor-scheierman/fb5e1673d10cb5102d9fe43b)
Sure, he wouldn't fit the Celtics' major 3-point shooting structure.
But he'd also provide a totally different look. It could be a crazy lineup like Westbrook, Derrick White, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Sam Hauser. If the other team didn't have a big, a group like that could cancel out the fact that Westbrook can't shoot. He'd be like the 5-man on the floor with plenty of spacing around him.
There's been nothing linking Russ to the Celtics, so this probably isn't a real possibility. But why wouldn't someone suggest it?
Maybe there's already knowledge that it wouldn't work.
Or maybe they've simply not considered it deeply enough.
Westbrook isn't a player who wins you a championship in a key role. But what if he can simply focus on the things he does well?
On a team as deep and talented as Boston, Westbrook could be almost a luxury.
And given the level Beal has shown lately, maybe it's worth considering Russ instead.
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