In a surprising move, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly agreed to a 3-year, $86 million deal
Russell Westbrook is not going anywhere after all as he has agreed to a new contract to remain with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
The contract is for three years and worth $85.6 million. However, Westbrook can opt out of the deal after the second year and become a free agent after the 2017-18 season.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise.
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After Kevin Durant shocked the NBA world by leaving the Thunder and signing with the Golden State Warriors, speculation immediately began that Westbrook would not want to stay in Oklahoma City and that he would eventually be traded, possibly before this upcoming season.
However, last month, the Thunder rescinded a qualifying offer to guard Dion Waiters, paving the way for him to sign with the Miami Heat. By doing that, the Thunder freed up enough salary cap space to offer Westbrook a maximum-level contract.
While Westbrook could have ultimately signed a larger deal if he waited until after the 2016-17 season, he will actually make more in the long run by re-signing now, thanks to the huge raise he will get for the upcoming season.
By re-signing with the Thunder, Westbrook's 2016-17 salary goes from $17.8 million to $26.5 million. He will then make $28.5 million in 2017-18 and $30.6 million in 2018-19 if he picks up his option year.
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