Russell Westbrook takes biggest pay cut in NBA history to stay with Clippers

Russell Westbrook finally found a good home late last season when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers. After losing his starting spot and being subject to constant trade rumors with the Los Angeles Lakers to begin the season, Westbrook was finally dealt to the Utah Jazz at the deadline, and promptly released. The veteran guard latched on with the Clippers where he regained a starting spot and emerged as a surprise standout in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Westbrook might not be one of the best players in the league anymore, but he proved he can still be productive in high-leverage games by averaging 23.6 points per game during LA’s first round series against the Phoenix Suns. When the playoffs were over, Westbrook had concluded the five-year, $205 million deal he originally signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 and entered the free agent market.

Westbrook enjoyed his time with the Clippers so much that he decided to re-sign with the Clippers — in the process taking the biggest pay cut in league history. Westbrook and the Clippers agreed to a two-year, $7.9 million deal on Saturday, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. After making almost $47 million last season, Westbrook’s new deal amounts to the biggest pay cut ever.

Westbrook surpasses the $30 million pay cut taken by Blake Griffin a few years back.

Could Westbrook have gotten more money with another team? It’s possible. Either way, the fit with the Clippers was better than anywhere else on multiple levels. Westbrook is of course an LA native who attended UCLA for college. He added a necessary element of speed and rim pressure for an occasionally stagnant Clippers offense, and gave them another high-usage creator when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard went down with injuries.

Will Westbrook be joined by former teammate James Harden on the Clippers before next season begins? Harden requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers after opting in to his $36.5 million player option, and LA is reportedly his preferred landing spot. Westbrook and Harden were teammates in both Oklahoma City and Houston.

Westbrook will play a big role on the Clippers next season whether he’s starting or not. At this price tag, maybe fans can again start appreciating Westbrook’s strengths while not focusing so much on his weaknesses.