Russell Westbrook Takes Biggest Pay Cut in NBA History to Sign With Clippers

For most of the 2022–23 season, Russell Westbrook struggled to find his fit on an imbalanced Lakers roster. Following a midseason trade to the crosstown Clippers, he rediscovered his form and thrived as the team’s primary starting point guard, so much so that the team made re-signing the Los Angeles native a priority this offseason.

So it shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that the former MVP opted to return to the Clippers. But the contract details Westbrook and the team agreed to certainly raised some eyebrows—and broke a dubious record in the process.

Westbrook returned to the Clippers on a two-year, $8 million deal, which includes a player option for the second year. That means the 34-year-old will make just $4 million next season after making a whopping $47 million last year, per HoopsHype, which qualifies as the largest pay cut in the league’s history.

Of course, Westbrook has made over $300 million in career earnings, and it certainly makes sense for the veteran player to prioritize roster fit and championship contention at this stage in his career. He fills a need for the Clippers as a starting-caliber point guard, and his durability is particularly valuable for a team whose best players—Kawhi Leonard and Paul George—have missed considerable time with injuries in recent years.

In 21 regular-season starts for the Clippers last year, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points and 7.6 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field and 35.6% on three-pointers. He started all five of the team’s playoff games, averaging 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists.