Report: Thunder trade Westbrook to Rockets for Paul, picks

The Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets on Thursday in exchange for Chris Paul, first-round selections in 2024 and 2026, and the right to swap picks in 2021 and 2025, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Oklahoma City continues to accumulate draft picks this offseason. The club received five first-rounders - and two pick swaps - from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Paul George trade and another from the Denver Nuggets in return for Jerami Grant.

Thunder first-rounders until 2026:

*The Thunder owe the Philadelphia 76ers a top-20 protected pick in 2020 (via Jerami Grant trade in 2016) and owe the Atlanta Hawks a lottery-protected pick in 2022 (via Dennis Schroder trade in 2018).

Westbrook was interested in reuniting with former OKC teammate James Harden, according to Wojnarowski. Thunder general manager Sam Presti reportedly obliged and worked with Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, to make the deal happen.

Harden and Westbrook reached the NBA Finals in 2012 before falling in five games to the Miami Heat. Harden was moved to Houston after the season but the duo now has the opportunity to vie for an NBA title in the super-competitive Western Conference.

Despite the Thunder parting ways with Westbrook, George, and Grant in the span of a week, they intend to remain competitive with Paul as their starting point guard, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

However, it's possible that Oklahoma City could look to work on finding a new team for Paul if he isn't interested in joining the Thunder, Wojnarowski adds.

Westbrook, 30, is set to earn $170 million over the next four seasons. Paul, 34, is still owed $124.1 million over the next three seasons.