Russell Westbrook joins exclusive 4-member designated player exception club
In a crazy week Russell Westbrook was voted First Team All-NBA, joined an exclusive 4 member club and welcomed his first child Noah.
To say the week of May 15, was special for Russell Westbrook would be undermining it’s significance. A trilogy of successes began with Westbrook becoming a father when wife Nina gave birth to son Noah. Thursday Westbrook learned he had been voted to the All-NBA first team. The latter reconfirming his position to the elite 4-member designated player veteran exception group. Todayhe’ll likely add to this magical week as the NBA confirms him as one of the three Most Valuable Player candidates. Fans will have to wait until June 26 for the official proclamation as the 2016-17 MVP. Given Russ’ record breaking season and how he finished down the stretch it’s a mere formality.
In terms of the designated veteran exception it was a 2-member club of Westbrook and Stephen Curry that doubled in size with the All-NBA Team announcement. Joining Russ and Steph are James Harden and John Wall into what is a now a 4-member club.
After years of Wall watching other point guards sign contracts well above his, it feels especially appropriate for him to gain entry to this elite guild.
To gain entry to this designated player exception group, very specific qualifications are required. Players must earn All-NBA Team honors on the year prior. Or two of the three years prior, in the year’s they are eligible for exception to be applied. Another relevant caveat is earning either MVP or Defensive Player Of Year Awards during the period they are eligible.
Durant Role in new exception:
The irony is this new extension likely was approved because of Durant’s defection. During CBA negotiations it was recognized these types of scenarios (top stars abandoning smaller markets) would be less likely to happen if their current team could reward them with something more than an extra contract year.
This adjustment reminds me of the Rookie Contract Extension and restricted free agent status changes. They were conceived primarily due to Tracy McGrady’s departure from the Raptors. It will never be known if Durant would have remained in OKC if this designated player exception was in place. But, it sure would have made his decision far more difficult. The good news is the Thunder had two players of this ilk and the likelihood is Westbrook will reap the benefits of this new exception.
All-NBA Omissions Block 2 New Members Entry:
Two players and teams who were hoping to become members of the club will unfortunately miss out based on their omission from the All-NBA Teams. Specifically, Paul George and Gordon Hayward who sat on the cusp of making the All-NBA squads. Neither made the lists and that fact may now play a pivotal role in their futures. George is still within the window required. But, Indy may now pursue trade opportunities prior to his eligibility for free agency next summer.
As per Brian Windhorst of ESPN
"Had George made one of the three teams, he would have qualified for the new Designated Player Extension that is part of the new collective bargaining agreement that starts July 1. That designation would’ve allowed the Pacers to offer George the richest contract in NBA history — and add up to five years and approximately $210 million to his contract.That is about $75 million more than another team could guarantee George were he to sign elsewhere if he opted for free agency in 2018. This new provision was built into the system following Kevin Durant‘s departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency last summer."
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
The Jazz maybe in as dire of a situation. Hayward could sign a shorter term deal akin to what LeBron James has tended to do. This way Hayward keeps his options open and can still potentially remain in Utah. As a result, he could continually resign and await his ten-year term with one franchise. In addition, Hayward is still young and continuing to grow, so more options are viable in his case.
Westbrook Trilogy:
Westbrook’s trilogy of successes earning All-NBA and presence in the 4-member club are taking a backseat to personal news. The birth of Russell ‘s son far outweighed the professional accolades. To that end, it’s likely the young couple are much more invested in their own personal Westbrook triad then the designated quartet.