NBA Title Contender Out of Russell Westbrook Pursuit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks' pursuit of veteran guard Russell Westbrook might be ending early as another NBA franchise has shown considerable interest in signing the former All-Star guard, according to basketball writer Marc Stein.

Westbrook could provide a spark off the bench for New York. In 75 appearances with the Nuggets last season, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from three-point territory.

Despite not having a head coach in place yet following the firing of Tom Thibodeau, the New York Knicks are preparing for a pivotal NBA free agency period.