The 2023 Free Agency exceeded expectations with many teams making bold moves before the 2023-24 season. Several players were awarded lucrative contracts. LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis signed contracts worth well over $200 million, spanning over five years. With Jerami Grant, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Kuzma, and others signing $100+ million contracts on the first day itself, it was reported that over $1 billion was spent in the very first hour of free agency. A majority of players secured the bag. However, Russell Westbrook, one of the biggest stars in the market, ended up signing a contract worth merely $8,000,000.
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Westbrook re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers for a two-year, $7,863,263 contract(almost $4 million per year). In the 2022-2023 season, Westbrook was paid a total of $47 million. The $43 million difference that Russ will suffer is the biggest pay cut in NBA history. Even though Russ is content with the Clippers’ environment, basketball personalities like Shaquille O’Neal and Stephen Jackson seem baffled by the deal.
Shaquille O’Neal shares a clip from Stephen Jackson’s rant on Westbrook’s contract
Russell Westbrook is one of the most dominant Point Guards in league history. Yes, the high-leaper has yet to win the coveted NBA Championship. But, over the span of 15 years, Mr. Triple Double has won the 2017 Most Valuable Player award, two scoring titles, and has been selected to nine All-Star Games. However, following his underwhelming stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Russ was only awarded with an $8 million deal.
Stephen Jackson went on a rant soon after learning the details of Westbrook’s contract. According to Jackson, the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team member was underpaid. Shaquille O’Neal, who agreed with Jackson, shared the clip of the rant on his Threads account. The TNT analyst captioned the post “i agree with @_stak5_”. In the clip, the former NBA athlete spoke about other undeserving players being awarded with $100+ million contracts. The 2003 NBA Champ further says:
“Guys like Russ give a 110% every night. The triple-double king. Plays and just gives his all every night for the fans, for his team and loves the game. You pay him $8,000,000?! That’s crazy. I ain’t hating on nobody getting that money, y’all get y’all bread bro. But it’s a lot of people that’s getting $100 million that don’t care about the game like Russ, don’t play when they hurt like Russ, don’t give a 110% every night like Russ.”
Post by @shaqView on Threads
To be fair, Jackson isn’t wrong. Russ’ contract really baffles you as a fan after you have seen so many mediocre players get such exorbitant contracts.
Russell Westbrook will take a salary cut to help the Los Angeles Clippers
Evidently, Westbrook has taken a pay cut to help the Los Angeles Clippers construct a Championship-contending team. With the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George being paid $42 million each per year, the California side has been in a salary cap crunch.
Russ’ 21-game stint with the Clippers last season was promising. While Leonard and George were sidelined for a majority of games due to injuries, Westbrook was a pretty good leader and even averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game. Even though the Los Angeles side fell short to the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, their healthy star-studded lineup should be a powerhouse to look out for.
