Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook signed a five-year extension with the team Friday, months after the Thunder initially made the monster offer. The deal finalized Friday is a five-year, $205 million extension, which on top of the renegotiation deal Westbrook signed last summer, amounts to $233 million over six years — the largest total guaranteed contract in league history, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Westbrook, the league's reigning MVP, has been sitting on the deal for months; the Thunder first dangled the deal in July. But since the offer was originally extended, Oklahoma City has added All-Stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to its roster with off-season trades, who should bring much-needed assistance to Westbrook after he posted the highest usage rate in league history last year.
The deal signed Friday begins with the 2018-2019 season. The upcoming 2017-2018 season is covered by the deal Westbrook signed last summer, shortly after Kevin Durant left Oklahoma City to sign with the Golden State Warriors in free agency — a decision that remained surprisingly relevant Friday. Kimberly Alters
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