In typical Sam Presti fashion, he sneakily announced that the OKC Thunder have offered Russell Westbrook a supermax extension.
This one isn’t a surprise. The Oklahoma City Thunder have offered Russell Westbrook a supermax extension, one that would break James Harden’s recent extension for the largest contract in NBA history. Of course it came in the form of a somewhat cryptic message.
Sam Presti on possible Westbrook extension: "I wouldn't really say that one's a negotiation." Team is effectively just waiting on an answer.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 11, 2017
There we have it. 5 years, $235 million. It’s there for Westbrook to take. Russ has up until the start of the regular season to sign that contract – whether or not he decides to do it is yet to be determined.
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Reports in late June said Russ may agree to sign that extension on July 1st. Obviously that didn’t happen. Now it’s unsure whether or not he will sign this offseason. Don’t be frightened though Thunder nation: there’s a very small chance that Russell Westbrook leaves Oklahoma City in the next couple of years.
One reason is because Westbrook would become on average the highest paid U.S. professional athlete. He’d make an average of $39.2 million a season through 2023, a record for the NBA.
The second is because Sam Presti has proven to be one of the best team builders in the league. He built Oklahoma City into a contender within three years. One year after losing Kevin Durant for nothing he has them back in the top four of the Western Conference.
The third and most important reason, however, is because the relationship he and his family has developed with Oklahoma City. This is where he calls home now.
It will be incredibly difficult for Russell Westbrook to walk away from everything we’ve been through.