For most of the 2022–23 season, Russell Westbrook struggled to find his fit on an imbalanced Lakers roster. Following a midseason trade to the crosstown Clippers, he rediscovered his form and thrived as the team’s primary starting point guard, so much so that the team made re-signing the Los Angeles native a priority this offseason.
So it shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that the former MVP opted to return to the Clippers. But the contract details Westbrook and the team agreed to certainly raised some eyebrows—and broke a dubious record in the process.
Westbrook returned to the Clippers on a two-year, $8 million deal, which includes a player option for the second year. That means the 34-year-old will make just $4 million next season after making a whopping $47 million last year, per HoopsHype, which qualifies as the largest pay cut in the league’s history.
Of course, Westbrook has made over $300 million in career earnings, and it certainly makes sense for the veteran player to prioritize roster fit and championship contention at this stage in his career. He fills a need for the Clippers as a starting-caliber point guard, and his durability is particularly valuable for a team whose best players—Kawhi Leonard and Paul George—have missed considerable time with injuries in recent years.
In 21 regular-season starts for the Clippers last year, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 35.6% on three-pointers. He started all five of the team’s playoff games, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
