Westbrook Utah joins Clippers after contract termination
LA Clippers add new guard
According to Adrian Woznarowski of ESPN, the Clippers are recruiting Russell Westbrook (guard, 191 cm, 91 kg).
Westbrook is currently involved in Utah jazz. As soon as the contract with Utah is terminated, he will finally join the Clippers. With the termination of the contract, Westbrook waives $13.2 million. On top of that, he will sign the Clippers for the rest of the season.
The decision reunited him with Paul George. He played a key role in the Oklahoma City Thunder. But after George asked for a trade in the summer of 2019, Oklahoma City went on a major rebuild. Although they did not produce outstanding results in Oklahoma City, they were in sync again.
Westbrook was traded from the LA Lakers to the Utah Jazz ahead of the trade deadline this season. Instead of sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Demian Jones, and 2027 first-round nominations (protection) to Utah with Westbrook, the Lakers traded for DiAngelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jared Vanderbilt from Utah.
Westbrook, which was traded to Utah, was expected to terminate its contract soon. However, it failed to agree to terminate the contract. This is because there was not much interest in him than originally expected. It was in contrast to the fact that any guards signed a buyout within a few days after being traded. Having recently contacted other clubs, he finally decided to return to Los Angeles.
Clippers president Lawrence Frank and manager Turan Lu are known to have been interested since they talked to Westbrook. However, it is questionable how much strength he will be in the game management or rebound that the Clippers want. Because the Clippers have a number of forwards. The key is whether it will be able to meet the prospect or expectations of operation.
He played 52 games for the Lakers this season. He made his first appearance on the bench since entering the NBA. This is because the decline has already been very clear in various indicators, including defense. He played 28.7 minutes per game, recording 15.9 points (.417.296.655) 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 1 steal. The first record still seemed to be the same, but the team’s contribution was significantly lower in many areas, including gains and losses.
In the end, he couldn’t avoid a trade. Because the Lakers wanted his punishment more than anyone else. It didn’t look like a real trade, but the Lakers broke up with Westbrook by clearing one first-round ticket and the existing player. In addition, he finally maintained the battle line and provided an opportunity to improve into a better team 스포츠토토
It has been confirmed that Westbrook recently had discussions with other clubs while contacting the Clippers. He also contacted the Miami Heat, including the Chicago Bulls, where Billy Donovan is at the helm, and the Washington Wizards, where he played. However, he seems to have prioritized the power of the existing club and the distribution of his roles.