Russell Westbrook, Thunder Reportedly Agree to Largest Contract in NBA History|
MK EnterTainment
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Russell Westbrook reportedly agreed to terms Friday on a five-year,
$205 million contract extension, according to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Westbrook seemingly made things official with a post on Instagram shortly after the news
broke:
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Royce Young noted Westbrook inked the lucrative contract on a rather interesting
date:
Last August, one month after Kevin Durant announced his decision to sign with the Golden
State Warriors, Westbrook agreed to a three-year extension with the Thunder that was essentially
a two-year deal since he could opt out after the 2017-18 season.
Wojnarowski noted Friday that Westbrook now owns the "biggest total contract" in league
history since there are six years and $233 million left on his deal.
Per ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, he will make $569,512 per game (before taxes) in the final
year of his extension.
While the threat of Westbrook following Durant out the door loomed for Oklahoma City, the
team was in a stronger negotiating position this time around.
By making the All-NBA First Team, Westbrook could receive a super-max deal from the Thunder,
which was created by the most recent collective bargaining agreement.
For Thunder general manager Sam Presti, Westbrook's contract was a straightforward pursuit: Offer
him the super-max extension, and he either signs it or he doesn't.
Presti also had some added negotiating power after he acquired Paul George and Carmelo
Anthony in a pair of offseason trades to show Westbrook, he was committed to engaging in
an arms race with the Western Conference's elite contenders.
Those moves were key, too, because Westbrook appeared overburdened at times during the
2016-17 campaign.
The league's reigning MVP, Westbrook averaged a triple-double (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds
and 10.4 assists) and set an NBA record for usage rate (41.7 percent), per Basketball-Reference.com.
There's no question the Thunder's reliance on Westbrook backfired at times, especially
during the postseason.
Oklahoma City lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round in five games.
During the series, Westbrook attempted 30.4 shots a game and shot 38.8 percent from the
field.
The Thunder didn't exactly have an alternative, though.
According to NBA.com, Oklahoma City was 12.2 points better per 100 possessions with Westbrook
on the floor during the regular season, and the team had a -51.3 net rating in the 46
minutes he was on the bench during the playoffs.
As CBSSports.com's Matt Moore wrote in April, Presti built a good roster that was centered
around two of the five best players in the league.
Durant's departure, however, radically changed the franchise's outlook, throwing off what
was a delicate balance.
But now that George and Anthony are in the fold, the Thunder should quickly move back
into a tier of elite Western Conference title contenders as they attempt to give the Rockets
and Warriors a run for their money.
Assuming the team's new star-studded triumvirate can propel OKC toward the title summit, Presti
will enter next summer with a compelling pitch to make Anthony and George as he hopes to
keep the team's core in tact for years to come.
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