NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook Shouldn't Get Max Contract from OKC Thunder

Russell Westbrook is a fantastic young star and a top-tier NBA point guard, but the Oklahoma City Thunder would be foolish to give him a maximum contract extension.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix tweeted on Nov. 29 that the Thunder will likely offer their young point guard a max contract.

As soon as team executives could speak with players' agents, Thunder GM Sam Presti began contract negotiations with Westbrook's agent, according to NewsOK.

Presti said the following about Westbrook:

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“Everybody knows how we feel about Russell Westbrook as a person and as a player, and we're looking forward to having those conversations at the appropriate time.”

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Under the current rules, the longest deal Westbrook might be able to sign would be a four-year deal. There is no way he deserves an amount of $17-20 million per season.

Westbrook is a very good player but he has too many faults, such as bad shot selection, a poor attitude at times and subpar defense.

All three of these issues can be turned into strengths, but Westbrook must prove he can work on these this season. If he does that, then he will have earned his huge contract.

Westbrook's shot selection and the number of shots he took during the 2011 NBA playoffs were criticized, even heavily at times.

Mannix also tweeted some insight on the team's thoughts on Westbrook despite his up-and-down performance in the playoffs last season.

Not only would giving Westbrook a max contract puts even higher expectations on him, it will make the team's challenge of keeping promising guard James Harden for the future much harder.

Harden arguably has more talent than Westbrook, and the 2011-12 season could be the one in which Harden breaks out and becomes a big star.

Young forward Serge Ibaka, who last year grew into one of the league's best defensive players, will also want a nice raise soon.

Westbrook can score the basketball and is a decent playmaker, but he is not a pure point guard. His backup, Eric Maynor, is the real true point guard on the Thunder.

For all of Westbrook's strengths (scoring and rebounding primarily), there are too many things he needs to improve on before he earns a maximum contract. 

The Thunder have too much young talent to keep for the future, and signing Westbrook to a massive contract could hurt their ability to keep their young core intact for many years.

Nicholas Goss is an NBA and Oklahoma City Thunder Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for the latest sports news and updates.  Follow @NicholasGoss35