With Kevin Durant leaving OKC to join the Warriors, all eyes are presently on Russell Westbrook. The Thunder point guard is a free agent next summer, leaving many wondering about his future.
Among the biggest questions around the league is whether the Thunder would trade their star player. Having no guarantee of him coming back, it may make sense to get some assets in return.
However, it appears that the Thunder have no plans to do so, at least for now. OKC just cleared up some cap space by renouncing a qualifying offer to Dion Waiters. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, they are hoping to use the space to negotiate an extension with Westbrook.
Even if Westbrook does not agree to a long-term extension, OKC has hopes for at least one more year. That would give them the ability to attempt to pair Russ with another star.
Following from Woj:
For Westbrook, the most likely scenario for a renegotiation would be to use the Thunder’s cap space to guarantee he will stay under contract with the Thunder through the 2017-18 season. This would give Oklahoma City the chance to recruit one of its top targets – 2017 free agent and Oklahoma native Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers – to partner with Westbrook, league sources said.
Blake Griffin going back home to join the Thunder has been an oft-discussed storyline. The Clippers have run out effectively the same team for several years now with no major postseason success. If they fail once again to make waves, even in a conference expected to be dominated by the Warriors, they may decide to blow up the team.
Griffin, an unrestricted free agent next summer, could be a great partner to Russell Westbrook. The two could make up the most athletic duo in the league. The Thunder would certainly be an intriguing team, should they be able to pull off their master plan.
Regardless of the Griffin situation, however, the Thunder need to sell Westbrook on that opportunity. If he agrees to a one-year extension, OKC has the chance to add talent around him. If they fail, then they can re-examine trades for their star.
