As expected, Paul George is thrilled that former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency.
George and Westbrook, who were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder, are very close friends.
Westbrook signed a two-year, nearly $8 million contract with the Clippers. Los Angeles president Lawrence Frank was impressed with Westbrook’s urgency, intensity and professionalism last season.
“In the two months Russ spent with the team, he was everything we hoped he would be and more,” Frank said on July 7. “He made a huge impact on the court with his play and off it with the urgency, intensity, and professionalism he brings to the gym on a daily basis.”
Westbrook began the 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was traded to the Utah Jazz at the February trade deadline and waived by Utah. The UCLA product joined the Clippers as a free agent after getting waived by the Jazz and averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists in 21 games with Los Angeles.
The Clippers faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Kawhi Leonard only played in Games 1 and 2 and George missed the entire series, so Westbrook’s usage rate went up. The NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 boards and 7.4 assists in the Suns series, but it wasn’t enough to help the Clippers win, as Phoenix won the series in five games.
The Clippers went 11-10 with Westbrook in the lineup last season. It will be fascinating to see how many games Los Angeles wins next season with Leonard, George and Westbrook playing together. It’s also going to be interesting to see if James Harden is on the Clippers.
Harden has opted into his 2023-24 player option and requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. The 10-time All-Star wants to get traded to the Clippers.
Harden and Westbrook were teammates on the Thunder and Houston Rockets. It would be wild to see them be teammates for a third time on the Clippers.
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