Today is the first exciting and uplifting day for Oklahoma City Thunder fans in quite some time, as Russell Westbrook has decided to make a commitment (kind of) to be the face of the Thunder’s franchise moving forward.
Report: Russell Westbrook agrees to 3-year, $85M-plus contract renegotiation to stay with @okcthunder. pic.twitter.com/yL5tADlkrA
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 4, 2016
This is a huge sigh of relief for the Thunder organization as the nightmarish haze they have been in since Indepedence Day has passed for now, and their other star player has committed to be a part of the franchise for the upcoming year and beyond.
Basically the deal is for two years with a player opt-out for year number three. This way Westbrook is guaranteed to be a member of the Thunder this season and next season. Rumors about his future won’t start creeping up again until next season at the very earliest and more than likely the 2018 trade deadline. Westbrook and the Thunder will have time to assess how the franchise will fare in the post-Durant era.
This is not only a win for the Thunder, but a huge win for Westbrook on multiple levels.
The first is financially, he gets basically a $9 million raise per season starting now which is an obvious benefit. The underlying benefit of this contract though is the fact that this allows Westbrook to cash in on the cap spike now and be eligible for a max extension in 2018 when he will have 10 years of experience in the NBA with one team which would then make him eligible for the absolute max contract which is 35 percent of your teams salary cap. With the cap raising to $102 million projected in 2017 and maybe $105-$100 million by 2018, Westbrook can make anywhere from $35.7 million to $38 million per season. This would equate to a five year, $190 million contract, or a six-year $225 million contract.
The second positive for Westbrook is he doesn’t have to worry about trade rumors or impending free agency for the time being. This gives him an opportunity to truly be “”the guy” in a system and place he is comfortable playing. It also instantly makes him a huge MVP favorite for the 2016-17 season and can improve his perception and persona on and off the court infinitely.
Westbrook is going to put up Oscar Robertson-esque numbers and will be seen as a top two player in the NBA especially if he can lead the Thunder to 50 wins in the process. He averaged an incredible 31.4 points, 9.9 assists and 8.6 rebounds after the All-Star Break for the 2014-15 season as Durant was sidelined with his foot injury.
How does Westbrook with a 29-8-8 season and 50 wins not equate to a league MVP? It feels like it is already set in stone save for an injury or some unexpected struggles.
The biggest potential win for Westbrook though is the newfound positive perception he has built with his hometown fans and fans around the NBA. The narrative will be how he was the “good guy” who stayed the course, instead of the “villain”, a role Kevin Durant will occupy as a player who left an elite team high and dry to join an even more elite team.
This deal is a win-win for the Thunder and Westbrook and gives them both more time to figure out if they want to be wed for the long-term.
I personally can’t wait for Westbrook’s first match-up against Durant in OKC this season, Chesapeake Arena will be electric and Russ will be in full “Why Not?”, Danger Russ, annihilation mode.
