There was a time and place when paying Russell Westbrook, one of the top salaries in the league, was worth it. Westbrook was averaging triple-doubles and creating some of the greatest stat lines we had seen since Oscar Robertson. With that said, since Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder, the two players have seen different stages of their careers. Durant is a two-time champion, while Westbrook has been a frequent flop in the first round.
- 2022-23 Season: $47,063,478
- Per Game: $573,944
- Per Quarter: $143,486
- Per Minute: $11,975
- Per Second: $199
- Career Earnings
- Next
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- The Los Angeles Lakers’ Current Players’ Status For The 2022-23 NBA Season: LeBron James, Anthony Davis And Russell Westbrook Will Earn $129.5 Million Combined
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Westbrook has played for three different teams in the last three years. The 2022-23 season will be the first time he plays back-to-back for a team since his days with the Thunder. We are assuming that Westbrook will be back with the Lakers because of the hefty price tag attached to his name. Westbrook will be the fourth highest-paid player in the NBA next season.
Here is the 2022-23 contract breakdown for Westbrook.
2022-23 Season: $47,063,478
Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 44.4% from the field and 29.8% from the three-point range. His points per game average were the lowest of his career since 2009. It also snapped a streak of 11 straight seasons where he averaged at least 20 points per game. On top of his lower points total, the Lakers won just 33 games, and the team missed the playoffs.
The only players that will earn more than Westbrook are Steph Curry, John Wall, and James Harden. Two of those players are expected to lead their team to a title next season. Westbrook is in the same boat as LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The question is will Westbrook show the vintage version of himself, or could this be one of the worst contracts in basketball next season?
Per Game: $573,944
Westbrook has not played at least 80 games in a season since 2017-18. That means that he is going to get over $1 million in salary for games that he does not play, assuming that we keep following the trend. Westbrook did play his most games, 78, since that season, so for the most part the Lakers were keeping Westbrook out of games if he needed rest.
For the majority of his career, Westbrook has given his team everything his body can handle. Given that he is scoring, rebounding, and playmaking, this money might be deemed worth it when you look at the box score. The other side will comment on the lack of wins and how this money could be dispersed to other players.
Per Quarter: $143,486
We could talk about the new clothes Westbrook would buy after one-quarter of play. Westbrook is a fashion nut that always has himself dressed in the newest trend. He has some interesting choices of clothing, but when you make this amount of money after one quarter, you could blow it on something for yourself.
This dollar-to-quarter ratio favors Westbrook quite a bit. His per-quarter amount is nearly $10,000 higher than LeBron James’. When you think of the best player on the team, who would you consider? If you are on LeBron’s side, then the King might be getting lowballed compared to his teammate.
Per Minute: $11,975
Westbrook makes $700 more than LeBron per minute. Eventually, that adds up over time, which is why his per-quarter mark is higher, as well. Westbrook can get a lot of shirts, watches, and shoes for nearly $12,000. After a few minutes, he might as well buy the whole clothing store.
You could look at it through another lens. Westbrook is always doing something to get a triple-double. He is likely checking a box in the box score for points, rebounds, or assists each minute. Each time he does that, he is pocketing a large sum of money.
Per Second: $199
Each second, Westbrook is making close to $200. For this reason, that is likely why Westbrook is not worried about getting fined by the NBA. The normally outspoken Westbrook has no problem backing down from a player or a tough question. He will always say what is on his mind. After five minutes of play, he can play just about any fine offered to him.
Westbrook makes about $10 more per second than LeBron. That is quite a bit of money over time. Any average person would not know what to do with this money. What would you do if you could afford $200 per second?
Career Earnings
To this date, Westbrook has made $288.5 million. After he completes his last year of this contract, Westbrook will have earned over $335 million. In 11 seasons, Westbrook made close to $167 million. Then, he made $37 million with the Rockets, $40 million with the Wizards, and $44 million with the Lakers last season.
At the end of the day, Westbrook is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was the first player to average a triple-double in a season since Oscar Robertson in 2017. He has continuously done impressive things even though he has not made it to the NBA Finals since 2012. This contract may not live up to this year’s achievement, but it was something that made up for all of the work he put into the league in his previous seasons.
