Westbrook opts into contract, but future with Clippers undetermined

LA Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook has opted into the last year of his contract that will pay him just over $4 million in 2024-25, per team source. However, Westbrook’s return to the team is not a certainty, per league source. While this decision guarantees that Westbrook will get what is owed to him, there remains a possibility that the player and team move on.

Westbrook comes off of a season where he finished seventh in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, contributing 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.1 steals in a career-low 22.5 minutes per game. The season began with Westbrook as a starter, and he remained a starter after the Clippers acquired James Harden on November 1.

But the Clippers lost six straight games to begin November, and Harden was made the point guard of the first unit while Westbrook was made the point guard of the second unit. That alignment eventually helped the Clippers recover and go on a 26-5 stretch that briefly placed them at the top of the Western Conference, with Westbrook bolstering the Clippers on the court with his defense, pace, and energy and off the floor with his leadership presence.

Westbrook’s season took a detour in March when he fractured his left hand on March 1, missing 12 games. The Clippers split those games, then lost in Westbrook’s return on March 25 to the Indiana Pacers. But the Clippers won 7 of 8 games afterwards, culminating in Westbrook’s only triple-double with the team in a crucial April 9 win at Phoenix, Westbrook’s only start after November 17.

The postseason was rocky for Westbrook and may have played a role in his decision not to opt-out, as he made only 26 percent of his field goals in the first-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks, playing a career-low 19.0 minutes per game in the postseason. While Westbrook’s defense remained effective, he was often placed off the ball while rarely being on the floor without Harden, limiting his impact even with Kawhi Leonard injured and unavailable for most of the series.

Westbrook said after the season on social media that he would be open to any role that the Clippers may have for him next season, but there is a possibility that Westbrook could be traded or bought out. The Clippers’ priority in free agency is to retain Paul George, who has a player option decision Saturday, and Harden. While the Clippers valued Westbrook’s sacrifice and production, the team has explored alternatives to the backup point guard position.

PJ Tucker, like Westbrook, also opted into the final year of his contract that will pay him more than $11 million. Like Westbrook, it is no guarantee that Tucker will be on the roster next season, and the Clippers will seek to upgrade the reserve power forward and center positions.

The Clippers also determined Saturday that third-year shooting guard Brandon Boston Jr. will not be given a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Boston was the 51st pick of the 2021 NBA Draft and he lasted with the Clippers longer than draft classmates Keon Johnson and Jason Preston. While Boston was a favorite of late Hall of Fame consultant Jerry West, he was not able to build upon a rookie season that showed flashes of scoring ability in a long, 6-foot-6 frame. Boston’s minutes dropped to a career-low 10.8 per game this season while he shot a career-low 26.9 percent from 3 and had more turnovers than assists. The Clippers used their lone draft pick to select Minnesota shooting guard Cam Christie 46th overall, then signed 19-year-old small forward Trentyn Flowers as an undrafted free agent, clearing the way for new developmental wings on the roster.

Required reading

(Photo: Kiyoshi Mio / USA Today)