The NBA season formally ideas off in lower than per week. Russell Westbrook, who turned a free agent on the finish of final season, went all summer time with out signing with a brand new staff. It regarded like possibly nobody would decide up the league chief in triple-doubles as he entered his 18th season.
Seems that Westbrook had been in talks with the Sacramento Kings all through the previous few months, and so they’ve lastly aligned on a contract. The staff agreed to signal the guard to a one-year deal on the veterans’ minimal, which is $3.6 million for the 2025-26 season.
It is a modest deal in comparison with among the different large salaries Westbrook has had in his profession, but it surely does push him over a cool milestone: By signing this deal, he’ll surpass $350 million in profession earnings.
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Per Sporting News and Basketball Reference, Westbrook has made $348,234,946 in profession earnings. By including one other $3.6 million on high of that, he’ll high the $350 million mark.
Westbrook has made 9 All-Star groups and gained the MVP award in the course of the 2016-17 season when he was with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. That offseason, the Thunder and Westbrook agreed to a five-year deal value $205 million. Within the wake of Kevin Durant leaving to hitch the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook was going all-in because the face of the franchise.
Besides he finally solely performed one season in Oklahoma Metropolis underneath that new contract, which started with the 2018-19 season. The Thunder traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in the course of the summer time of 2019 in a deal that concerned future Corridor of Famer Chris Paul.
Since then, Westbrook has bounced round a number of groups, together with the Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. The Kings would be the seventh staff he fits up for; he is additionally been traded to the Utah Jazz twice, however has by no means performed a recreation for them.
At this stage of his profession, Westbrook is now not the triple-double machine he as soon as was, although he can nonetheless be a productive participant. He is completed within the high 10 in Sixth Man of the Yr voting in every of the previous three seasons. He’ll slot into an identical bench and mentor position with the Kings. And he’ll add to his spectacular profession totals. He and LeBron James are the one two gamers to document a minimum of 25,000 factors, 8,000 rebounds, and eight,000 assists. If Westbrook notches 75 assists this season, he’ll hit 10,000 for his profession. He’d be solely the eighth participant in NBA historical past to tug off that feat.
Westbrook’s bodily peak could also be behind him. However he is nonetheless bought the identical drive and energy that has served him nicely since coming into the league. And that is helped him attain one other profitable milestone in a profession filled with spectacular accomplishments.
