After the Utah Jazz waived him, Russell Westbrook again found his footing with the LA Clippers, who signed him to a two-year, $7,863,263 contract. Westbrook averaged 15.8 points in 21 games for the Clippers on 48.9% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc, a steep rise from his Lakers days.

While his game has seen significant improvements since the signing, his underwhelming $3,835,738 salary is standing in the way of him getting a major incentive reserved for only the Top 5 earners on the team.

Russell Westbrook missed out on a major incentive

The sport of basketball is athletically demanding and requires the athletes to be in peak physical condition. However, with athletes competing at the highest level every day, injuries are an inevitable part of their careers. To counteract this issue, the NBA has obligated each team to provide insurance to ensure the well-being of their players. But there’s a catch. The teams must insure only the five most valuable players on the roster. Per the terms, the contracts of the five highest-paid players must be insured as an inherent component of their remuneration package. The rest of the players on the roster are left to fend for themselves.

LA Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook is on this list of players who are left to pay for their own insurance. His agreement with the Clippers pays him $7,863,263 guaranteed for two years. In the 2023?24 season, Westbrook will earn a base salary of $3,835,738. This salary places him 10th on the list of highest earners on the team. To put things in perspective, the top two players will receive $45,640,084 this season. The five Clippers players who receive the insurance are Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell, Marcus Morris, and Nicolas Batum.

Clippers starting lineup for season opener revealed

The Clippers had become the poster team for load management because their two stars, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, were missing almost a season?s worth of games due to injuries. Their roster has everything from talent to experience, but only one thing can define whether they will make a deep run to the postseason this time ? the health of their star players. While the preseason games are mostly inconsequential, it looks good for the Clippers. Both Leonard and George appear healthy entering the new season. The Clippers will play their season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 25. The starting lineup for the first regular-season game will feature Russell Westbrook, Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac.

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How do you think this season will turn out for the Clippers? Will they make a deep run to the playoffs this time? Let us know in the comments!

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