Sources revealed to ESPN that Russell Westbrook will exercise his $4 million option and return to the LA Clippers.
Russell Westbrooknine-time All-Star, will use of his $4 million option and will return to the LA Clipperssources revealed to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Westbrook averaged 11.1 points5 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season.
The Westbrook’s first full season with the Clippers didn’t go as expected. He began the season as the starting point guard, but trade at the end of October for James Harden led to Westbrook becoming the sixth man for his second straight team.
But unlike his brief stay with the Los Angeles Lakersthe step of Westbrook’s benching this season was the catalyst of the best regular season of the Clippers in the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era.
The Clippers finished 51-31 during the regular season and They lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
After Westbrook came off the bench on November 17, the Clippers went 35-13 (the second-best record in the NBA during that span) until The point guard fractured his hand left on March 1st.
Westbrook underwent surgery and returned after missing just over three weeks of actionBut he averaged 6.3 points and 26% shooting in 19 minutes during the first round against Dallas.
While Westbrook had to adjust to playing a career-low 22.5 minutes per game last season, the all-time leader in triple-doubles (199) had one of his best defensive seasons. He ranked fourth in field goal percentage allowed as a contending defender among players who contested more than 300 shots last season according to Second Spectrum tracking.
Westbrook35 years old, lHe told ESPN last March that he is prepared to play any role. that will be required next season, no matter where he plays.
“I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do,” Westbrook told ESPN in March. “I’m always confident in my game wherever I go. If I’m here [con los Clippers]if I’m [con otro equipo]It doesn’t really matter. I’ll do whatever it takes no matter the team. They ask me to do it and I’ll compete to do what needs to be done. My confidence doesn’t change. I’ve always been a team-first guy… Whatever they ask of me, I’ll do it.
“I have a lot of confidence in my abilities to be able to play at the highest level, to continue being elite in many things in the league and to come off the bench or be a starter, it doesn’t matter.”
