JUNE 29: Westbrook has officially exercised his option, according to RealGM’s transactions log.
JUNE 28: Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook will exercise the player option on his contract for 2022/23, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). The move, which had long been expected, will lock in Westbrook’s $47,063,478 salary for next season.
Acquired by the Lakers during the 2022 offseason, Westbrook was meant to be the final piece of a Big Three that would lead L.A. back to title contention. However, as fellow stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis battled injuries, Westbrook struggled to fit in with his new team.
Westbrook’s scoring average (18.5 PPG) was his lowest mark since 2009/10, and his 29.8% shooting percentage on three-point attempts was below his career rate. Although Westbrook started all 78 games he played for the Lakers, the team was more effective when he was off the court (-1.6 net rating) than when he was on it (-4.0).
Westbrook’s up-and-down performance was far from the only factor in the Lakers’ disappointing season, but it negatively impacted his value, making it a lock that he would opt into the final year of his maximum-salary contract rather than trying his luck on the open market.
It also makes the 33-year-old an unlikely trade candidate, since L.A. would have to attach assets and/or take on unwanted long-term contracts to move his $47MM+ salary, though the team will likely reassess its options on the trade market now that he is officially opting in.
New head coach Darvin Ham and general manager Rob Pelinka have both spoken about Westbrook returning to the Lakers next season and embracing a defense-first philosophy, suggesting that the organization is hopeful Ham can connect with Westbrook and get more out of him than former head coach Frank Vogel did.
Westbrook is now on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2023.
Sorry LeBron.
^^^^Thinks about LeBron a lot.
^^^^^Defends Lebron every single time he’s mentioned.
^^^^^^Always has some insane rant where GSW are the greatest franchise in the history of sports and everyone else is doodoo.
and yes, the Cavs and Knicks have both had long periods of being doodoo. not the point tho.
^^^^^^ has the worst takes in the history of Hoops rumors comment section. Ever. (A’sfaninLexington)
Ahh I enjoyed that.
I hope they use their minimum slots on guys who can help this year, melo and monk were good finds last year, but deandre and Dwight basically cancelled them out, not even a lakers fan and I can’t stomach lebron, but what fun is it rooting against a team that beats itself
Which of the 3 options below are better for the LAL?
1) Buy him out, getting rid of his atitude problems in the locker room.
2) Package the two future picks for a trade, getting back some quality role players.
3) Keep him on the roster, hoping the new training staff and learned lessons from last year chance things.
Honestly, probably number 3
2) = LOL nah not happening no ones helping Bron out
Teams make moves to improve their own plans, they can’t afford to be petty like you. Lebron success, especially at this age, isn’t a consideration for teams making deals. I’m sorry your so Le-Obsessed kid
#3 is the ONLY option. The other two will not happen.
they could buy him out but it probably cost them $35 million plus to do so and how cheap the Laker’s management is they will not do it.
A buyout would probably be similar to Wall’s which would be his salary minus the tax payer mid level so it would end up being approx $41 million. A team isn’t giving him $12 mill as a FA so he’s not going to lose money by taking a $35 buyout
Why even ask.
Like there was even a .01% chance he was gonna opt out.
Giving $50 million for one season of basketball from a washed loser with no rings who needs to hand his MVP over to its rightful owner, Steph Curry – this season is about to be even more miserable for the Lakers and Bron.
@AssFan
you mean the year when Curry wasn’t even top 5 in voting?
the irony in both comments is funny. Completely 2 different players. Westbrook is all about stats and his desire to stack them up. Curry is all about winning and could care less about stats.
@arc
I don’t truly believe he’s a stat only guy who doesn’t want to win. I think he wants to win but didn’t know how to do so. in his mind, he plays hard and with desire and can’t understand how being a triple double player ISN’T in some large way helping good team win. He just has no clue how to win
You just said something ratonal. Prepare to be roasted,
I remember national talk radio become all about Westbrook then. All the double doubles bro.
I never understood nba fascination with extreme arbitrarily cutoffs to rate players.
Especially values of 10.
Player A is only the 3rd player with 20x, 12y, 4.6z in a career.
Player B is only the 2nd player with
26x, 4.5y,10z in a season.
Player C is somehow amazing because
16x, 10.0y, 10.1 z
Just to do this arbitrary feat with consistency is going to take stat chasing. Its often incredibly obvious.
Why its even kept up with as a stat is meaningless.
Whoa
Ha Ha!
Of course! The easiest decision in basketball LOL
I realize “up and down” is a euphemism, but particularly so in this case. What were his “up’s”?
He had some good games and there were some “Is he finally starting to figure it out??” conversations over the course of the year. Certainly, the downs outweighed the ups.
Rebounding. He can go get the ball as well and easily as anyone. He has to tolerate getting bumped better to lead the league in it, but that’s possible.
He learned how going for triple doubles.
$47M? Yikes. They might as well give Ham and his staff the opportunity to see what they can do with the 3 main pieces, but coaching wasn’t the problem in 2021/2022, so it may be a long year in Lakerland unless they eat the tax hit and add the right vets.
Well since Vogel was fired and not Pelinka. The Lakers thought coaching was the problem.
If Knicks miss out on Brunson, which they probably will, they should pursue 1 year of Westbrook as crazy as it might sound.
Gibson, Burks, Fournier, Reddish
Knicks put up with Westbook for 1 year to clear some cap room long term, Lakers get better rotational players to fill out the roster than just 3 overpaid guys and a bunch of old vets and/or undrafted guys filling out the roster.
Like the idea but I actually think the knicks are the favorite to sign Brunson
The lakers would cut Westbrook before taking on that trash though.
They would eat $15M in dead cap for 3 years if they stretch to try and add pieces now. It’s best to just let it ride and sign people next year
Clock is ticking on LeBron. One year is a significant amount of time to a guy his age no matter what stasis chamber he dwells in during the off season.
Knicks dumped the guys lol, Fournier the only bad contract left unless they want to move on from Randle too
He’s certainly fortunate that his max contract has served him this well. Now to see if Ham and Co can get more out of him this season.
This will be Russ’s last season in the NBA
Someone will pick up Russ for the league minimum.