Russell Westbrook is one of the greatest guards ever to play the game of basketball. He's a former NBA MVP, a 9x NBA All-Star, and one of the NBA's 75 best players ever. With 16 seasons of experience under his belt, he isn't looking for major deals anymore, and that's why he's chosen to opt into his $4 million contract with the LA Clippers for next season.
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Russell Westbrook is picking up his $4 million option and returning to the LA Clippers next season. Last season, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals on 45/27/69 shooting from the field.
It was previously reported by Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints that Russell Westbrook is not expected to be in a Clippers uniform next season. Now that Westbrook has opted into his deal, that leaves way for the Clippers to include Westbrook in trades if there's a mutual understanding to get him on a new team. However, the biggest question that remains to be seen is whether Westbrook will be in a Clippers uniform next season with all of the murmurs of Kyle Lowry or Chris Paul joining the team.
Westbrook was a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the LA Clippers off the bench last season. However, he struggled tremendously during the NBA Playoffs, in a series many expected him to be the X-Factor. It remains to be seen how Westbrook's final impression on the court has affected his value around the league.
More must-reads: