Russell Westbrook is re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year deal worth almost $8 million, his agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Westbrook is coming off of one of the most tumultuous stretches of his career, but bounced back nicely with the Clippers. In the 2021 offseason, Westbrook managed to navigate his way to Los Angeles through a trade with the Lakers. However, after an ugly year-and-a-half in purple and gold, the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz at the deadline in a move that ultimately propelled them to the Western Conference Finals. Westbrook was bought out by the Jazz from there and ultimately signed with the Clippers.
His time with them was mixed. Westbrook returned to the starting lineup with the Clippers, and he played impressive all-around basketball in his team's first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns. However, the Clippers ultimately went just 12-14 in 26 total games with Westbrook in the lineup, and his flaws remain as glaring as ever.
While Westbrook is still one of the NBA's more explosive athletes, he will turn 35 early next season. He has never grown into even a passable 3-point shooter. While he's capable of playing fierce on-ball defense for stretches, he's rarely an attentive team defender. He's a strong passer, but takes a number of ill-advised shots, and he's struggled to score at the rim compared to his former self in recent years.
Those weaknesses limited Westbrook's market to a relatively small group of teams. He started last season on a super-max contract, but no team was interested in paying him anywhere near that amount this season. Even now, it is unclear what role Westbrook will play for the Clippers.
Earlier this offseason, the Clippers nearly traded for Malcolm Brogdon as their potential starter at Westbrook's position. However, medical concerns ultimately squashed that deal. Now the Clippers are getting linked to James Harden and Damian Lillard in possible trades, and such a move may force Westbrook back to the bench. It remains to be seen how many minutes Westbrook will get for the Clippers, but they apparently saw enough last season to bring him back.
