Though the Thunder did add 24-year-old guard Victor Oladipo this summer, it came at the expense of another of Westbrook’s long-time teammates, Serge Ibaka. He has a player option after the first year of the deal. The deal is for three years and $85-plus million, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Denver team is reportedly trying to rebuild its roster and Russell Westbrook has emerged to be their top priority.
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Westbrook, 27, averaged 23.5 points and a career-high 10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game last season.
Now, given Westbrook’s style of play and the fact that Clippers will likely re-sign Griffin, all signs point to the latter option coming to fruition.
The Thunder have already lost Kevin Durant for free this offseason and Presti will never let that happen again with Westbrook. Before he makes an offer to the Thunders, Ainge will insist on a multi-year contract with Westbrook. Like many of these blockbuster trades, this one never went through but there is one that makes a lot of sense for both teams.
“A showdown between Westbrook and Durant in the NBA Finals would be must-see television if the Warriors and Heat faced off against each other”, Massey wrote. He’ll get an $8 million boost for his troubles, offsetting the difference between him signing a new deal now versus during next summer’s cap spike. Only time will tell as far as Westbrook’s future in OKC is concerned. (He is now limited to 30 percent.) While that may change under a new collective bargaining agreement, Westbrook maximizes his earning potential here while allowing Oklahoma City some breathing room.
Reports claimed that Westbrook will help the Nuggets to raise their position in the National Basketball Association league along with the team’s major talented players like center Nikola Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray.
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After a few weeks of rumors swirling around the soon-to-be free agent, it’s being reported that Westbrook will sign a contract extension Thursday. But after several weeks of expecting OKC to trade Westbrook, the news of the closeness of a deal to retain his services is a welcome sight indeed.
