Russell Westbrook Rumors: Clippers FA Could Get $10-15M Annually on Contract Offers

Russell Westbrook is about to become an unrestricted free agent, and while he's no longer in his prime, he still might receive a solid contract on the open market.

NBA executives around the league believe Westbrook could receive offers between $10-15 million annually, according to Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune.

While he would be open to remaining with the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise can only offer him around $3.8 million next season, according to Medina. Even if they could offer more, it doesn't sound like they would.

"The Clippers may not have offered that money even if they had the space. Despite gushing about how Westbrook upgraded the point-guard position, the Clippers still tried to acquire Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon last week only for the deal to fall through after becoming concerned with his injury history," Medina wrote.

It's unclear which teams would be interested in signing Westbrook this summer, but the Clippers should try everything in their power to retain his services.

If Westbrook doesn't return to L.A., it's unclear who would fill the starting point guard role. Terance Mann or Bones Hyland could do the job if needed, but they're more effective as backups.

That said, it's also possible the Clippers could pursue their options in free agency. Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet are among the top point guards available on the open market this summer.

However, L.A. would need to clear some significant cap space in order to pursue some of the top available point guards.

Westbrook's value likely dropped drastically following his trade from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22. He proved to be a disappointing fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and went on to put together the worst season of his career.

In 78 games, he averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from deep.

The Purple and Gold ended up sending Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal during the 2022-23 campaign and he went on to be waived by the franchise before agreeing to a deal with the Clippers.

In 21 games with the Clippers, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.

He was quite impressive during the team's first-round playoff loss to the Phoenix Suns, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor and 35.7 percent from deep.

However, some will say his postseason performance was the result of the absences of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, who were out with injuries.

Free agency is slated to open Friday at 6 p.m ET, and it'll be interesting to see how the market for Westbrook develops over the weekend.