Russell Westbrook appears to have found a home, but will he stay?
Not only has Russell Westbrook repaired his reputation in his time with the Clippers, but he may have also made himself a lot more money. It’s highly doubtful that he’ll ever go near a max contract again, but he’s clearly outplayed his veteran minimum contract.
Due to his buyout and eventual minimum signing, Russ will enter unrestricted free agency this offseason, and the Clippers do not own his bird rights, meaning that if he were to re-sign, at best, it’d be for their midlevel exception.
Of course, Westbrook has already attained generational wealth throughout his NBA career, but it’d be naïve to say that money won’t at least be part of the discussion when he eventually picks his new team. Now that he’s proven that he can be an elite contributor when the stakes are at their highest, he should have significantly more interest than if he had hit free agency after finishing out his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
There should be at least a handful of playoff hopefuls next season that will consider adding the mercurial point guard to their roster, especially since his price point should be relatively affordable. Perhaps the Brooklyn Nets, who don’t have possession of their pick in 2024, may want to make a run another run at the playoffs next season and could use a downhill playmaker like Russ on the team. If the Denver Nuggets flame out this postseason, could they talk themselves into adding a true slasher in Westbrook to round out their starting lineup? Maybe the Chicago Bulls luck into a top-four pick in this upcoming draft and decide to go all-in on their core instead of blowing it up.
Whether it’s to take over the helm of the offense or to add an elite rim-pressure threat off of the pine, there should be plenty of interest in Westbrook’s services this summer depending on his price tag. But, money aside, there may not be a better basketball fit for Russ and his talents than his current team.
The Clippers certainly have a championship-level ceiling, especially with Westbrook on board, and have the supporting cast required to maximize his impact. They also need Russ more than most other contenders, as they obviously plan for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to miss multiple games out of the year. Through their first-round series, the Clippers have shown that they can be a competitive team with just Westbrook and their high-level supporting cast available.
Allowing to Russ to be fully himself might be their greatest selling point this offseason. Regardless of where he ends up, though, he’s proven that he has no plans to go quietly. Russell Westbrook was never going to go out sad.