Last NBA off-season, one month after Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors, Russell Westbrook inked a 3-year $85 million extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, Westbrook has a player option on the final year of that contract, which means he could be an unrestricted free agent next Summer.
Therefore, OKC general manager Sam Presti is determined to sign the MVP candidate to a new extension this Summer, one that would make Westbrook the highest-paid player in league history.
According to ESPN, the Thunder can't have that talk with Russ until July 1st though.
"The rules are that you can't have that conversation until July 1, and you know, when that time comes, we'll sit down, we'll have conversations with him about what that opportunity presents," Presti said Monday at his end-of-season availability. "And you know, we're obviously hopeful that he remains really excited about being a part of this organization for the remainder of his career."
When it comes time to have that conversation, due to the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, Westbrook will reportedly be eligible for a Designated Player Extension, a five-year, $217 million "supermax" deal.
Westbrook has said a number of times that OKC is the only place he wants to be, and if he still feels that way this Summer it's likely he'll become the highest-paid player in NBA history.
