The Los Angeles Clippers' season got to another disappointing end. But Russell Westbrook made sure to prove that he's the kind of player you want when you're trying to pursue an NBA championship.
Westbrook left it all on both ends of the floor during their first-round series vs. the Phoenix Suns. He was a one-man show in the final two games of the series without Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
That's why Clippers President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank made his thoughts clear on Westbrook and his future with the organization. Apparently, he won't be a free agent for long.
Clippers Want Russell Westbrook Back Next Season
“Yeah, we want to bring Russell back,” The executive told the media “I give him a ton of credit and I think it’s a great example of when you have a trust in your partnership. T-Lue, PG, and Kawhi advocated strongly for Russ."
"He brings a great energy and spirit to the team, around the building," Frank added. "We sat down, we discussed it, we sat down with Russ, Ty Lue, and myself. And we’ve feel really, really good for what Russ able to do and you guys get to see what he brings on the floor.”
Paul George Wants His Friend Back On The Team
This is just what Paul George wanted to hear. He advocated for the Clippers to sign Westbrook midseason and has grown quite close to him from their days together at the Oklahoma City Thunder:
“He’s played himself back into the Russ that he was and that we all knew that he still was,” George said. “Definitely gonna be some decisions. I definitely vouched for him to be here. I’m definitely vouching for him to come back. I just think he brings so much to his team and I mean it’s amazing to watch him."
"He’s older than me and he’s putting his body on the line," added PG. "He’s giving literally everything he’s got to our franchise during this playoff run. So I just think he’s the leader that we need at the point guard position going forward and would love to have him back.”
The Clippers will still need to do some soul-searching and consider all their options in the offseason. Kawhi Leonard will never be healthy, so they need to try and build the roster accordingly.