With Kevin Durant leaving the Thunder, Oklahoma City could end up losing another key player. According to league sources, Russell Westbrook's future with OKC is still a bit hazy.
Like Durant, Westbrook joined the Thunder in 2008 after he was selected as the No 4. overall draft pick. For eight years, fans saw how Westbrook grew with the team. He even managed to reach a career high average of 28.1 points per game during the 2014-2015 season.
However, for the upcoming NBA season, it seems there's a strong chance that OKC will not have Westbrook in their roster. According to league insiders, Westbrook might not agree to a contract extension that will be offered by the Thunder.
"Told emphatically by league source there's no chance Russell Westbrook will do a renegotiation / extension of his contract," TNT's David Aldridge tweeted.
Westbrook is about to enter the final year in his contract with OKC. However, there's a good chance that he won't take this offer and instead, enter the 2016-2017 season as an unrestricted free agent. Doing so will be a very good move for the point guard especially since the team recently lost Durant to the Golden State Warriors.
By opting out of a contract extension for next season, Westbrook will be able to emerge as one of the highest valued players in the free agency market.
However, this does not necessarily mean that he will not re-sign with the Thunder. There is still a chance that he might accept a long-term deal with the team or chose to stay with OKC until 2018 with a player option for 2019. That way, he will be able to make the most out his a future max contract with the team due to his decade-long commitment.
But then again, Durant's departure may have forced Westbrook to think about his future in the NBA. Signing with the Warriors certainly has an effect on the Thunder's chance of getting in the finals series next year. And, with this idea in mind, Westbrook might be looking to join a team that has a better chance of winning a championship.
