NBA free agency 2023: Russell Westbrook returns to Clippers on 2-year, $8M deal

Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers are running it back.

After finding a surprising amount of success as a post-NBA trade deadline signing, Westbrook has agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal to stay with the Clippers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The deal comes after the end of a supermax contract that saw Westbrook's value steadily descend until it was considered one of the worst values in the NBA. It began with the Oklahoma City Thunder, then saw him move to the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards and, finally, the Los Angeles Lakers.

It was with the Lakers when Westbrook became a real target for fans, as his ball-dominant style of play and infamous shooting woes clashed with what the team needed from its point guard. It wasn't long before fans — and, reportedly, LeBron James, who pushed for Westbrook's acquisition in the first place — were clamoring for a trade.

That trade finally came midway through Westbrook's second season in Los Angeles. By that point, the Lakers had gone 58-79, missed the playoffs in 2022 and fired head coach Frank Vogel, who reportedly clashed with Westbrook. The Lakers dealt the point guard at the trade deadline to the Utah Jazz for role players, burning a draft pick to make it happen. The Jazz released Westbrook a couple of weeks later, allowing him to quickly sign with the Clippers.

The other team in Los Angeles turned out to be a decent match. Long needing a point guard who could penetrate the paint and hit open players on the perimeter, the Clippers immediately plugged Westbrook into the starting lineup. Westbrook's stats didn't change much — his points, assists and turnovers per game were nearly identical with the Lakers and Clippers last year — but his field goal (41.7% to 48.9%) and 3-point percentages (29.6% to 35.6%) made a significant leap while his defense was a surprise boon.

The Clippers went 11-10 in the regular season with Westbrook despite losing the first five games of his tenure and playing the final nine games without Paul George. Their season ended with a loss to Westbrook's old teammate, Kevin Durant, and the Phoenix Suns in the first round, with both George and Kawhi Leonard out by the end of the series.

The move turned out to be a good one for the Lakers too, as they went on a post-deadline run that ended in the Western Conference finals. Their return for Westbrook, particularly D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, certainly helped them reach the playoffs.

This new deal gives Westbrook a chance at a full reset, though you can only feel so sorry for a player when he was being criticized over a $205 million contract.

Westbrook was a figure of infamy when his team was on the hook for his $47 million salary. He was a resurgent success story when his team was paying him the veteran's minimum. Now, we'll see what he is with a very reasonable salary.