Jazz give Westbrook permission to speak with Bulls

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The Utah Jazz have granted Russell Westbrook permission to speak with prospective teams on the buyout market, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski, who said last week that the Bulls are "a front-runner" to land the the point guard, reported Wednesday that Westbrook and his agent have already talked to the Bulls, Clippers, Wizards and Heat.

The Bulls are in the mix to add a player via the buyout market, currently targeting veteran point guards. Westbrook currently is planning to take some time to decide whether he’ll stay with the Utah Jazz or enter the buyout market, which is keeping the Bulls and other teams in a holding pattern.

If the Bulls don’t add Westbrook, John Wall and Patrick Beverley are names to monitor. A source told NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson that the Bulls have been in contact with representatives of both Wall and Beverley. The Bulls will need to waive a player to create a roster spot, and their current focus on point guards calls into question the future of Goran Dragić.

Zach LaVine always takes the path of saying he'll support and ride with any teammate that management gives him. LaVine said he hasn't talked to Westbrook or anybody within the locker room about his potential addition.

"Russ is a future Hall of Famer, man. I think you can only respect what he's done in this league," LaVine said. "Any player, if he so happens to come on the team, he'd be welcomed with open arms. If he's not, you compete against him. He's a fierce competitor. You can do nothing but respect that."

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