UCLA Basketball: Hall of Fame Ex-Bruins Make Decisions on Player Options for Next Year

Free agency tips off on Sunday.

July 6, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Team USA guard Russell Westbrook (center right) and forward Kevin Love (far right) during practice at the UNLV Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

A pair of former UCLA Bruins teammates-turned-future Hall of Famers have made diverging decisions on their player options for the 2024-25 NBA season.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, veteran L.A. Clippers point guard Russell Westbrook picked up his $4 million player option, despite rumors (according to Marc Stein in a recent Substack) that the Clippers are interested in potentially replacing the 6-foot-4 guard with (expected) free agent veteran point guards Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, both of whom are better defenders and three point shooters than the former 2017 MVP. A nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA honoree, Westbrook proved to be a solid playmaker off the bench for the Clippers, averaging 11.1 points on a .454/.273/.688 slash line, five rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals a night, while finishing seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting. Though the 35-year-old Long Beach native is a far cry from posting the 30-point triple-doubles that defined his prime, he could still be a useful asset to a rebuilding squad looking for seasoned help. If anything, it seems possible the Clippers could look to offload him via trade.

Wojnarowski also reports that Westbrook's former colleague in 2007-08, power forward/center Kevin Love, has opted to decline his own $4 million option with the Heat. Wojnarowski adds that the 6-foot-8 veteran big man is hoping to figure out a long-term new deal to stay in Miami. Last year, Love appeared in 55 contests, averaging 8.8 points while shooting .440/.344/.787. He also pulled down 6.1 rebounds and dished out 2.1 dimes a night, across just 16.8 minutes.

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