EE

This makes no sense to me. There is no wiring connection via brushes to the rotor of an induction motor. The rotor magnetic field and squirell cage current is induced. That's why it is called an induction motor.

Red,

He's asking about a wound rotor induction motor.

Plausible but only the OP knows.

To follow this rabbit down this hole... Why wire these three windings to a common node instead of providing a load to a star pattern?

Er, because it says so on the drawings?

Read this:

Basics of 3-phase Induction Motor (part 1) - Electrical Engineeri
There will be a test day after tomorrow in CR6.
Don't be late, bring your text book.

So the inrush current can be controlled without compromising the torque....

If you consider the stator windings:

1. Allowing dual voltage ratings, for one reason; the other option being delta.

2. As already mentioned, for star-delta starting purposes.

As I recall the reason for the rotor being in star is down to the voltage and insulation required between windings.

BTW what's EE got to do with a wound rotor?

Maybe that's the noise a bearing started to make when they tried to wire the load resistors in the higher voltage delta configuration.

See [for instance] also:

http://dl1.taghedanesh.com/Books/Electrical/125681.pdf