Russell Westbrook just concluded his first full season with the Los Angeles Clippers and although the team didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs, he showed a lot of promise.
But this might be the end of his time with the Clippers according to a new report.
The Athletic, per NBACentral, says that Westbrook might leave the Clippers for a better opportunity with another team in the league.
Apparently, Westbrook is weighing his options and deciding if he wants to continue having a limited role with the Clippers or move to another team that will give him more time to shine.
Russell Westbrook could leave the Clippers for a better opportunity elsewhere, per @TheAthletic
“Does the nine-time All-Star and former MVP want to continue in this kind of limited role while playing on a veteran’s minimum deal, or might he have played his way into a better… pic.twitter.com/jkhkurV7Ft
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 4, 2024
The report states that Westbrook’s transition to a bench player was “far more challenging behind the scenes than team officials had made it appear publicly.”
For the last several seasons, Westbrook has been adjusting to being part of the second unit rather than the starting five.
He was a starter when he moved to the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of 2021.
But after a lackluster first season, head coach Darvin Ham moved Westbrook to the bench in the second season.
When he came to the Clippers at the end of last year, he started in all 21 games, but that was partly because Kawhi Leonard was injured.
This year, he started in 11 of his 68 games.
Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this season, strong numbers for a bench player.
But he might want to leave the Clippers in favor of a team that won’t have him on the bench at the start of games.
Westbrook has had a hard time sticking with teams over the last few years and it sounds like that might continue this summer.
NEXT:
Skip Bayless Rips James Harden, Paul George After Game 6 Loss