It's been a tough season off the court for Russell Westbrook — to say the least — and according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, there might not be a happy resolution on the horizon for the Utah Jazz guard.
The Utah Jazz have not bought out Westbrook after he was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline, leaving the 34-year-old's future in the league unclear.
Westbrook has reportedly struggled to find a market for his services, according to Charania, who spoke about his lack of league interest on FanDuel TV on Wednesday, including with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I have not heard any traction yet with Russell Westbrook and the Clippers,” Shams Charania said. “When you look at teams around the league, there is not a spot for Russell Westbrook, he's still with the Utah Jazz…I would expect him to take the next week or so to figure out whether he can find a home somewhere else. I do believe that if he had a home by now, the Jazz would have bought him out and allowed him to go seek another team, but right now it’s a slow-moving market.”
Many Clippers players have publicly tried to recruit Westbrook, but as Charania asserts, it doesn't seem like the team's front office shares the same desire to keep Russ in LA.
The Chicago Bulls have also been linked to Westbrook, with head coach coach Billy Donovan reportedly formally recruiting the point guard to reunite with him in Chicago.
Donovan coached Westbrook from 2015-19 in Oklahoma City, where he achieved his greatest individual success in 2017, being named the league MVP after averaging 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game.
The Miami Heat have also been reportedly interested in Westbrook, and it will be intriguing to see if he lands with any of the Clippers, Bulls or Heat ahead of the postseason.
The Jazz have until Mar. 1 to buy out Russell Westbrook to allow him to be playoff eligible with a different team. There should be a resolution to his situation by that time.