Sources: Russell Westbrook Will Come Off Bench for LA Clippers Tonight

The Los Angeles Clippers will bring Russell Westbrook off the bench in Friday's in-season tournament game against the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Bleacher Report.

Swingman Terance Mann will start for the first time this season in place of Westbrook, sources say.

Westbrook approached the coaching staff with the idea to help the first unit develop some chemistry and to provide the second unit with spirited play, sources say.

Westbrook, the vocal leader of the team, told the coaching staff he wants to do whatever it takes to win, sources say.

The Clippers (3-7) have lost six in a row and five consecutively since acquiring James Harden.

Head coach Tyronn Lue told B/R this week that getting these accomplished players to sacrifice and buy in to reduced roles is his toughest challenge as a head coach.

Lue is using an experimental period to evaluate new rotations and lineups. B/R reported on Wednesday that Lue was not married to the starting lineup that featured Westbrook, Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac.

Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images

The organization wants to afford Harden the freedom to play his game and continue to stress to the star the importance of being himself.

This is the second straight year that Westbrook began the season as a starter before accepting a reserve role early into the season. Last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, head coach Darvin Ham removed the former MVP from the starting five after the team got off to an 0-4 start.

But on this occasion, Westbrook made the call, and it's a selfless move that's garnered praise throughout the organization, sources say.

Westbrook is averaging 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 10 games this season.