
The Los Angeles Clippers and point guard Russell Westbrook have agreed to terms after the guard reached a buyout agreement with the Utah Jazz. Westbrook was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers just before the 2022-23 NBA Trade Deadline to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Utah and Westbrook quickly began work on a buyout agreement after the trade. Westbrook reportedly considered the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls before deciding to stay in the city of Los Angeles. The Clippers needed depth at point guard and now they have it.
After finalizing a contract buyout with the Utah Jazz, nine-time All-Star guard Russell Westbrook plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, his agent Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/OjZ0Mkuz5x
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2023
This season with the Los Angeles Lakers mostly coming off the bench, Russell Westbrook averaged 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and one steal per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 41.7 percent and a three-point percentage of 29.6 percent. Westbrook is also a leading candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award this season, but there is no word on if the Clippers plan to continue to bring him off the bench as the Los Angeles Lakers did this season.
Since signing his maximum extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook has been traded every year of the deal. This time he will get to stay in the same city which will be more stable for his family to close the NBA season. In the offseason, Westbrook will enter free agency and his value on the open market will be an interesting story heading into the NBA offseason.