Russell Westbrook‘s decision on his NBA future may not happen until the All-Star break, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers sent Westbrook to the Jazz on Thursday as part of a three-team trade. Sources tell Wojnarowski that CEO Danny Ainge, general manager Justin Zanik and coach Will Hardy have informed Westbrook that he’s welcome to report to the team and finish the season in Utah. However, the Jazz are planning to prioritize their younger players, so there’s no guarantee that Westbrook will see regular playing time.
The 34-year-old guard is considered a strong buyout candidate, but he’ll have to give up part of the pro-rated money remaining on his $47MM+ salary for that to happen. In order to be eligible for the playoffs with another team, Westbrook would have to complete a buyout with Utah by March 1.
There are three scenarios in play for Westbrook, Wojnarowski adds. He can pursue buyout talks, he can report to the team and accept whatever role the coaching staff gives him, or he can stay home and collect the rest of this season’s salary.
Wojnarowski hears that the Bulls, Clippers and Heat are among several teams interested in Westbrook if he becomes a free agent. Chicago is coached by Billy Donovan, Westbrook’s former coach in Oklahoma City; L.A. has prominent veterans pushing for Westbrook’s addition; and Miami wasn’t able to find point guard help before the trade deadline.
So Westbrook is taking time off to see which playoff team wants him the most. Also maybe wanting to keep more of the money he is owed.
Jazz add additional $5 million payroll to absorb Westbrook giant amount of salary this year.
Lakers would absolutely tank to protect lottery pick in 2027 (new Lakers GM has no choice but protect the pick like Rockets GM Stone)
Danny Ainge would end up with empty hand or 1 second round pick
LOL
Really you think 4 years from now the Lakers are gonna be worried about tanking to screw the Jazz?
New Laker GM? Pelinka seems to be doing just enough to save his bacon, though by 2027 its hard to say Pelinka will still be there.
Draft choices in the NBA are pretty much a joke.
The way FO’s turn over, who cares about even 2 years from now?
Add in that 26 of the 30 teams are over the cap, and of the remaining 4 – 2 are below $1m of a salary cap that’s $123.655m.
Most teams are doing away with rebuilds. They want to compete now, not wait years for a few players to adapt to NBA ball. With the con named “Play-In’s” the fact is that 20 of the 30 teams make the playoffs each year. A team has to be downright awful to miss the playoffs 2 years in a row….and if they do their fans have every right to stop attending games or watching them on media devices.
With this bozo of a Commissioner, I look for the NBA to work towards all teams making the payoffs (do the participation trophy thing). After all, as we see by the deadline trades the regular season means very little – if anything – anymore.
You have it backwards. Teams are starting to shift away from getting multiple stars realizing that homegrown (via draft) is a more sustained model.
Teams like the Warriors (Steph, Klay, Dray), Celtics (Tatum, Brown, Smart) and Bucks (Giannis, Middleton) that have won titles or reached the Finals the last couple of years have done so through the draft.
We’ve all started to see how the Nets and Lakers did away with their stars to try and build through gaining capital.
Your thinking was in full effect until just recently, and now the mindset is that patience is much more sustainable. We also saw how the Raptors and Lakers blew their load with their one-shot at glory with rental Kawai and trading the farm for AD just to turn in to insignificance.
So I think rebuilds are starting to gain traction.
I will agree with saying that draft choices can be a joke, although that’s usually after the first 8-10 or most of the lottery. I think the first handful of players in each year are where you have to hit on your picks, with a higher percentage of that happening. Players outside of the lottery aren’t as important, and definitely not in the 2nd round. The chance of players selected after the lottery are very low with having an impact.
BrodieBrodster;
It would be nice if teams went that way. And in a 30 team league not everyone is going to do the same thing.
“I will agree with saying that draft choices can be a joke, although that’s usually after the first 8-10 or most of the lottery.”
That right there is the problem. I’ve written the same thing in other posts. Sure, there are examples of guys drafted blow the 8th pick of the 1st round that became impact players. But how many? Established payers that have options want to win now. Coaches want to win now. FO people want to win now. The owner wants to won now. And the fans think if they just get in the (ever expanding) playoffs that anything can happen.
The problem with team building through the draft is that a team is going to miss on a player or two. Unlike MLB or the NFL where they draft and play more players each game, that sets the NBA organization back an extended period. The established veterans they have get tired of losing and want to contend – so they either demand a trade or play out their option.
That’s not going to change.
Good call just wait it out for now and see what happens. He’s given up a lot recently going from perineal all star, all nba guard and former MVP to accepting a sixth man role. He thought by accepting a lesser role he’d be helping the team and overall the team would do better than it had.
Yes he’s not the player he once was but he doesn’t deserve all the criticism he receives. What he’s done more recently has been so unselfish and it’s not like he’s been bad either. He’s putting up numbers.
I think the LA Clippers just make so much sense for him tho. Gets to stay in LA and doesn’t have to relocate. They clearly want him with PG and Morris having come out publicly. They also sent away Reggie and John there two best point guards and although they have Terrance Mann and Bones Hyland, Russ walks into a likely starting position and would be a good fit. He’s played with PG in the past and they were great together. Kawhi misses so many games that he will have a good role to play his game, they need that high energy do it all guy which Russ certainly is. Tyrone Lue is a very solid coach, Clippers are a playoff lock and if he does well which he should with the PG and Kawhi he could get himself a long term deal there.
Miami doesn’t make sense with Kyle Lowry there, although he would get plenty of rebounds, they also lack shooting already. Plus a possible personality clash with their culture and the strict governing of Pat Reilly and Eric Spol.
Chicago don’t really have a point guard with Lonzo out but long term wise he wouldn’t have a place there. They also have ball dominant players and so he could be limited in his touches and could result in him having to play a bench role again to get the touches he wants. They might not even make the playoffs the way they are playing and where they are seeded. Even if they do make the playoffs you really want to line up with LaVine and DeRozan against Tatum, Giannas or Embiid. They don’t have the big body’s to match up with anyone at the top. Not to mention going from LA it’s across the whole country that’s a long way to move for a first round sweep at best
Every side apart from the Clippers has huge cons which make staying in LA the easy and obvious answer. But take your time cause you’ve given up a lot recently. However this league is a business and if you take to long I’m sure they will go after Pat Bev so have that in mind.
“Perennial” all star. No real data on how he is around the perenium.
Yeah stupid auto correct
Has to be a contender. Bulls don’t fit that. His ex coach although makes sense. Clippers, Heat can work. I’d like to see Nuggets reach out to him. They should load up for a long playoff run.
I like the nuggets as a fit because they need another ball handler off the bench, and they already are used to getting almost zero defense from their 2nd unit guards. RW fits that mold, and adds something different, and possibly beneficial for the Nuggets. How much better on defense can Reggie Jackson be over Westbrook? Especially considering physical management of Jackson Vs the relative Health of RW. I do think Russ stays with Utah, or ends up with the Clips, and Jackson with the Nuggets. Mostly because of personal situations though.
Russ to the Mavericks is a long shot too, but he and Irving could tell stories about why they don’t like playing with LBJ. Might inspire Luka to new heights
Is getting waived an option? Or is there some reason Utah can’t/won’t do that?
With the buyout their is a pro-rated amount that Utah would not have to pay if he signs with another team.
The simple answer is 100% yes they can, but it makes no sense for Utah. Russ could give a crap as long as the deposit is on time
That’s kinda what I thought. Just curious since it wasn’t mentioned as a possible scenario.
Please tell me If your Russell Westbrook and you wanted a shot at a NBA title.
Why for love of God would you sign with the Chicago Bulls.
To watch and get Bounce out of the playoff In the first round.
Come on man your smarter then go to Chicago to play for your old coach
That’d be a first for Westbrook…taking time to consider something
Please please please go to the Clippers
Signed a Laker fan who knows Russ cannot help a playoff team.
PS. So nice watching them tonight. Should have happened months ago
Adding Westbrook to any team is like subtraction by addition.
Insert salty Russell Westbrook comment here.
If I’m the Jazz I’d offer Russ a lowball buyout of $1M and then met him decide if he’s playing to win or just for the money. We all know what he’ll decide just like every other money grubbing player in every major league sport
The problem is if they take that tactic he can always show up and “pull a muscle.” I think the Jazz are perfectly fine paying him, though. They wanted the pick. And Russ could actually help them lose games. I think they’ll do whatever he wants for the remainder of the season and that’ll be that.
They also don’t have much at all at pg, only Sexton really, and they aren’t trying to “develop” him. Westbrook would probably g3t 25 minutes a game.
Miami.
It would be nice if this story showed on the Bulls feed since they are tagged in it. Instead the feed shows stories from 4 yrs ago (Android)
If the Bulls pick this guy up it just confirms what many Bulls fans know already: This organization is a laughing stock and cannot be taken seriously. They should have had a fire sale before the break at the least to send a message that this middling effort will not be tolerated in this org. Its clear this team does not have the heart to want to win or even make the playoffs, Lavine, DeRozan, and Vucuvic should have all been moved. I maybe would have kept Dosunmu and Williams, the rest can go. JR owned teams spend too much on lazy unmotivated players that spend more time on the bench with their injuries instead of being the org that demands results and is doing what it takes to win. Instead you have a GM trying to hide the issues to keep his job on top of everything. I thought there would be a change once garpax were out of those seats, but clearly the being a lapdog to the Reinsdorfs is still a requirement to work in the org… I never thought Id say this, but I miss Jerry Krause, as he appears to have been the only one to convince Reinsdorf to allow him to do what he did and spend to do it…Now, its just a pathetically run org, and I’m not sure the Bulls ever get back to the promised land as long as a Reinsdorf is in charge.