Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2023-24 playoff numbers (six games): 6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.7 apg, 23.5 3P%
Former league MVP Russell Westbrook deserves credit for being willing to accept a lesser bench role as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. He even had a solid regular season in 2023-24, averaging 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 45.4 percent shooting, even earning Sixth Man of the Year votes in the process.
But things kind of fell apart for Westbrook in the playoffs, where, in six games, he was only able to put up 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in a first-round playoff defeat for Los Angeles at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. Even worse, Westbrook shot 23.5 percent from three and 26.0 percent from the floor in postseason action.
Obviously, that hurt Westbrook’s free-agent stock heading into the summer, which may or may not matter considering the triple-double GOAT has a player option for 2024-25 on his deal, one worth $4.0 million. Common sense might lead one to believe Westbrook, heading into his age-36 season, would be set to exercise that option and return to the Clippers for another campaign.
However, that may not be the case, according to The Athletic, which recently reported that Westbrook, in search of a bigger role, could be looking for a different opportunity elsewhere this summer:
Westbrook’s role took on a different spotlight when he was lost to a fractured hand in March, a period that saw the Clippers go 6-6 and lose five straight games at home. But upon Westbrook’s return, the Clippers went on a stretch where they won seven of eight games, culminating in the future Hall of Famer’s lone triple-double of the season while starting in place of Harden at Phoenix. Even when Westbrook saw success after his return, he often mentioned how he felt he could play more, and he did not speak to reporters at any point after the regular season ended. Does the nine-time All-Star and former MVP want to continue in this kind of limited role while playing on a veteran’s minimum deal, or might he have played his way into a better opportunity elsewhere? Considering the challenges that came with him being relegated to a reserve role, with team and league sources indicating that the process was far more challenging behind the scenes than team officials had made it appear publicly, the answer may very well be the latter.
If that truly is the case, it’s unclear what type of role the former UCLA standout, who’s about to turn 36, is looking for. Would a team be willing to shell out more money than the minimum and offer up a starting job for the future Hall-of-Famer?
That is very much unclear at the moment. Though Westbrook can still help a team with his energy, defense and passing as a bench option, that might not be the case as a starter anymore, as Westbrook has lost a step athletically and remains as inefficient as ever with his outside shooting.
Plus, his poor 2023-24 postseason where he struggled to make a huge impact while converting on just 13 of his 50 shot attempts will probably hurt him if he’s looking for more money and a bigger role in free agency.
For more on Russell Westbrook’s free agency and salary, click here.
