A veteran NBA coach whom Erik Spoelstra deeply trusts explicitly advised the Miami Heat against a potential Russell Westbrook signing.
After missing out on a potential reunion with LeBron James, the Miami Heat are now on the lookout to land their Plan B signings to improve their roster under a new era led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
Apparently, in their potential plans of signing Russell Westbrook, the Heat have been warned about committing to the former NBA superstar.
According to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was given a staunch warning about possibly bringing Westbrook to South Beach.
“An NBA source who has relationships with Erik Spoelstra and other coaches said that a coach that Spoelstra trusts told him that he advised the Heat not to sign Westbrook, asserting that he’s difficult to coach,” the report indicated.
Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra warned about signing Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook has been linked to the Miami Heat in this year's offseason, and it was previously reported that he will only join the franchise if LeBron James won't go there.
Westbrook remains an unrestricted free agent available in the market. He is coming off a one-year stint with the Sacramento Kings this past 2025-26 via a $3.6 million contract.
Appearing in his 18th NBA season, Westbrook still delivered good numbers by averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds across 76 games.
Basketball-wise, possibly signing Westbrook would obviously be bad for the Heat's plans around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo in terms of spacing. The erratic plays of the former league MVP might also raise eyebrows around Miami's disciplined schemes under Erik Spoelstra.
In the end, only time will tell if the Heat would truly pursue Westbrook, or if the former NBA star will still land elsewhere amid his past team's sudden unwillingness to welcome him back.
[
Thank you for being with us! Subscribe to BN+ and browse ad-free.](https://basketnews.com/plus?utm_source=basketnews_com&utm_medium=bn_plus&utm_id=UA-259273-31&utm_campaign=banners_free_content_for_not_members_bottom_1)
If you like our content, please and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.