Westbrook clears waivers, joins Clippers
LOS ANGELES — It didn’t take long for Russell Westbrook to join the Los Angeles Clippers.
The nine-time All-star signed with the Clippers on Wednesday after he cleared waivers, then hit the practice court as the team gathered for the first time since the All-star break.
“I’m super excited. I love to play basketball and I just have a lot of fun while doing it,” Westbrook said. “I get to stay home, see the wife and the kids and take them to school in the morning. That’s a big part of my day and you know, nothing is more important than that.”
Coach Tyronn Lue said Westbrook will play Friday when the Clippers host the Sacramento Kings. When asked how he views what role Westbrook will play and if he would be a starter, Lue said, “I view him as what you will see on Friday.”
Westbrook is from the Los Angeles area, was a standout at UCLA and played less than two seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the Jazz on Feb. 10 as part of a threeteam deal.
The Jazz waived him Monday. Westbrook cleared waivers because no team had the salarycap space to take on the remaining $47 million he was owed on his expiring contract.
The 15-year veteran is averaging 15.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 28.7 minutes per game. He is one of only six players in the NBA this season averaging at least 15 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ director of basketball operations, said both sides are on the same page about how Westbrook can help the team.
“We had an upfront and honest dialogue. I
thought it was a really clean process, in that we talked through a lot of different possibilities to make sure that this could be a good relationship,” Frank said.
Westbrook is reuniting with Paul George, his former teammate in Oklahoma City. George had lobbied the front office to add a point guard before the trade deadline.
George then stepped up the recruiting effort for Westbrook after he was traded to Utah and it appeared he could become a free agent.
“I’ve been in this league a long time, and being somewhere that people want you and they embrace
you meant a lot to me,” Westbrook said.
Westbrook brings something the Clippers lack — a fast, attacking guard who can get to the rim either to score or kick it out to the perimeter. Lue is hoping Westbrook can manufacture some easy baskets for George and Kawhi Leonard, a role the Clippers were hoping John Wall could play before he was traded to Houston.
“I think that the most important part for me is just coming in, keeping the pace high, using my speed and the ability to be able to get into the paint and get those guys easy shots,” Westbrook said.
“I’ll fit right in and continue doing what they have going on right now and everything else will play out itself.”
Injured Curry begins workouts
Stephen Curry has begun individual on-court workouts as he recovers from a left leg injury and will be re-evaluated in another week.
The Warriors said Wednesday that Curry had another examination and “is making good progress.” The reigning NBA Finals MVP has missed the past five games after getting injured against Dallas on Feb. 4 in a collision while defending Mckinley Wright IV as he drove to the basket. Wright’s knee hit Curry’s shin.
An MRI exam showed partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligament and interosseous membrane in his left leg. He also had a bruise.
He will continue to do his on-court progression. Before the All-star break, Curry said because of the ligament damage it’s hard to know how long his healing will take.
He is averaging 29.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists for the defending champions.
Curry, who this past week attended a pair of Stanford women’s basketball games to support friend Cameron Brink and the women’s game, has sat out 19 games overall this season, 11 of those with a partially dislocated left shoulder.