Russell Westbrook to Join Clippers After Jazz Buyout Contract After Lakers Trade
Written by admin on February 20, 2023
A.J. Mast/NBAE via Getty Images
The Russell Westbrook era with the Utah Jazz ended before he played a single game, and his next chapter will be with the Los Angeles Clippers, his agent Jeff Schwartz told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday.
Utah will finalize a buyout, clearing the way for him to sign with the Clippers.
Westbrook came to the Jazz as part of a three-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline. D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt went to the Lakers, while Mike Conley ended up on the Timberwolves, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski noted there was expected to be “significant interest” in Westbrook after Utah bought him out, although Jazz general manager Justin Zanik told reporters the team was “open” to him remaining in Utah.
Westbrook is an intriguing case study for the Clippers ahead of the playoff push.
On the one hand, he is a future Hall of Famer who was one of the best players of his generation in his prime. His resume includes the 2016-17 league MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star nods and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. On paper, any team would likely want someone like that.
However, the 34-year-old has lost a step of the explosiveness that defined his game for so long, and he is anything but a dangerous shooter from the outside. He is hitting only 29.6 percent of his three-point attempts this season, and that came for a Lakers team featuring LeBron James and Anthony Davis, two stars who create space for others.
Westbrook’s time with the Purple and Gold can only be classified as a disappointment in part because of that shooting.
He arrived ahead of the 2021-22 season to much fanfare as part of a Big Three with James and Davis, but he proved to be an awkward fit alongside those two. Westbrook has been at his best as a ball-dominant guard throughout his career, but James constantly has the ball in his hands.
James also needs effective three-point shooters around him because of how much defensive attention he draws. Westbrook never fit that bill.
While Westbrook found some success this season coming off the bench to anchor the second unit, the version of him that was so dominant during his time on the Oklahoma City Thunder was never a consistent presence on the Lakers.
This buyout gives him a chance to join the Clippers ahead of a potential playoff push. He will look to rediscover his form as a game-changing playmaker.
The Clippers signed John Wall as a high-profile backup point guard this offseason, but they sent him to the Houston Rockets ahead of the trade deadline. Westbrook can now fill that role of a high-profile backup point guard, and he doesn’t even have to change cities after his time on the Lakers.
Although Westbrook is now set to become teammates with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, he’ll still have to address some of the same concerns that arose during his Lakers tenure. However, he also isn’t facing any pressure to carry a team that already has plenty of talent.
If he can anchor the second unit, Westbrook could be a key addition for the Clippers as they look to compete with the best teams in the Western Conference.
