The elephant in the room for the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer involves Russell Westbrook's contract extension.
Westbrook is eligible for the same extension signed by James Harden and Steph Curry, which would net the Thunder star over $200 million and lock him in with the Thunder for years to come.
But while other stars have gotten those deals done, Westbrook hasn't yet and it could become a real cause for concern if no progress is made soon.
Westbrook's teammate Enes Kanter opened up about the situation, offering this insight from his perspective, via Fred Katz of The Norman Transcript:
Katz: Russell Westbrook has had this extension offer on the table for about a month. You think he’s going to sign it?
Kanter: He knows that there is not another place on Earth that people love him like OKC fans do. I see him like my brother, and he loves it here. I hope he’ll stay. He’s a huge part of our family.
Katz: Is the extension a thing you guys talk about?
Kanter: No. We don’t talk about it. We don’t talk about it, yeah.
Katz: Is that awkward? Is it an elephant in the room?
Kanter: It is awkward. Of course it is awkward, but in the end, it’s a business. We don’t really talk about it, but we know how much we love each other.
It will be interesting to see what develops of this as the season nears. Westbrook may just be taking his time with the decision, or he may be seriously weighing a future that doesn't involve Oklahoma City (or at least keeping that option open).
By all accounts, Westbrook is particularly happy with what he has in OKC and it would be a surprise if he were to make it known he intends to leave down the road.
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