sources told ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski. 10:54 AM ET: Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook has exercised the final year of his contract to return to the team in the 2022-23 season.
Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 NBA MVP, is entering the final season of the five-year, $206 million contract he originally signed.
Westbrook has received a bunch of criticism after having a sub-par 2021-22 season with LeBron James and Anthony Davis . The point guard shot 29.8% from three-point range. Due to injuries, he only played 21 games with James and Davis .
Before last season, the Lakers made a desperate move to recruit Westbrook to form the "Zhan Meiwei" Big Three, trying to hit the championship again. In the end, due to injuries, the team was rejected in the playoffs outside the door.
During the offseason, the team has been trying to find a suitable deal, but Westbrook's contract is too big, and few teams can match such an offer. Moreover, Westbrook's own performance seems difficult to match this huge amount. contract. The team had discussions with the Brooklyn Nets about trading Irving, but in the end it came to nothing.
