3 reasons Russell Westbrook should extend his contract
The OKC Thunder have a good thing building here and they could extend it further by signing their best player, Russell Westbrook to an extension.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been making moves this offseason with the big trade for Paul George and the two helpful signings of Raymond Felton and Patrick Patterson. What is still left on the table is the extension of Russell Westbrook.
Yes, Westbrook already signed an extension last year with the Thunder for three years and $85 million, but with how this past season went, the Thunder are now looking at another extension for Westbrook. Westbrook said after signing the extension, via ESPN:
"“There’s nowhere else I would rather be than Oklahoma City. Definitely when I had the opportunity to be able to be loyal to you guys, that’s the No. 1 option. Loyalty is something that I stand by.”"
Westbrook is eligible for a Designated Player Extension. It’d be a five-year deal worth more than $200 million that would make him the highest-paid player in league history. Westbrook has earned another extension through his leadership, putting up the stats to back it up and getting the team to the playoffs.
Leadership
Westbrook had a moment that was bad for the media but good for the team. It was when Steven Adams was asked a question about why when Westbrook went out of the game the production seemed to drop.
Westbrook shot down the question and said (paraphrasing) to the reporter that he shouldn’t split the team up. That was a big moment for the Thunder. Even though the Thunder lost the series in the next game to the Rockets, OKC still needed that to see that this team wasn’t going to split up. The front office could quite clearly see Westbrook’s dedication to the team. He is their leader and he displayed that last year, both on and off the court.
Signing such an extension would ensure it remains that way, and after what happened with Kevin Durant, the chance to be this team’s loyal, long-term leader is harder to turn down.
Stats
Westbrook’s production is the biggest thing out of all this. Let’s face it, if the numbers weren’t there we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Westbrook is the second player in NBA history to average a triple double for the season. Also, he averaged a triple double while scoring 30 points a game.
Westbrook’s consistency is the key to how he won the MVP last year and if that continues, signing him to that extension will be necessary. Westbrook has more pieces now, so his numbers should drop but that will not mean that we wont see the same Westbrook of last year. The last time Westbrook didn’t average more than 20 points a game was in the 2009-10 season.
Russ has found great success in Oklahoma City, and even if the game isn’t about his individual stats, there’s no question the two sides seem to bring out the best in each other.
Playoff Play
Getting the team to the playoffs was big for Russell Westbrook. He was able to have the Thunder compete night in and night out during the season after they lost Kevin Durant and then the made the playoffs and won a game.
The team used that success as a springboard into the offseason and now with the acquisitions that they have made they are looking to improve and make more noise in the playoffs. Westbrook averaged a triple-double in five playoff games, also with 37 points a game.
With Paul George, Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton joining the party, the Thunder are well-poised for a deeper playoff run. Signing an extension puts him in better position to keep that momentum going for the long haul.
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No team wants to lose its best player and the Thunder want to win now after the success of last year and the signing of George. If they can get Westbrook or even both George and him to stay then they can continue their upward trend in the NBA.