It looks as if a tweet by well-respected TNT reporter David Aldridge stating that there was “no chance” Russell Westbrook would renegotiate or extend his contract that was due to expire at the end of the upcoming season was wholly unsubstantiated.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Westbrook has agreed in principle to a three-year, $85.7 million extension to remain with the only franchise he's ever known. Westbrook will fly into Oklahoma City on Thursday morning to officially sign the deal — exactly one month to the date that Kevin Durant announced that he was signing with the Golden State Warriors.
Sources: Russell Westbrook is flying to Oklahoma City on Thursday morning, planning to sign a three-year, $85M-plus contract renegotiation.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) August 4, 2016
The reported deal is effectively a 1 + 1 extension, with a raise for this upcoming season. Westbrook will be given about an $8 million raise for the 2016-17 season, a guaranteed max contract for the 2017-18 season and a player option for the 2018-19 season.
Amid the scuttlebutt of possible malcontent from Westbrook's camp in the aftermath of Durant's departure, it seems as if this deal confirms that Westbrook's sentiment was drastically miscalculated. According to Shelburne, the opportunity for Westbrook to have his own team was incredibly appealing, and likely one of the top factors that culminated in his decision to return to the Sooner State when many expected him not to.
If the 2014-15 season is any indication — a season in which Kevin Durant sat out 55 games with a foot injury — Westbrook's capabilities as the lone superstar on a team are seemingly limitless.
Angry, vengeful and spite-filled Russell Westbrook — the best kind of Russell Westbrook — will now, officially, have full license to shoot, like, 40 shots a game, take even more of the ridiculous shots that he took even with Durant as a teammate and tear through the paint every other possession with tenacious disregard for his teammates and opponents alike — all while a night-in, night-out triple-double threat.
Thunder basketball, at least for the next two years, will be pure, vindictive entertainment, and it will be an absolute treat to watch.