OKC Thunder rumors: Russell Westbrook to test free agency in 2017?

By Bryan Rose | Jul 30, 2014

May 31, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in game six of the Western Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

On Tuesday evening, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder made waves when he didn’t fully commit to the notion of re-signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder once his contract expires.

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It’s not that Durant doesn’t want to play for the Thunder, but like every free agent, the idea of playing elsewhere (in this case, closer to home in Maryland) was on his mind.

Can the same be said for his OKC teammate, Russell Westbrook? There’s always been a strange level of friendly competition between the two and some have went as far to suggest that Russell Westbrook is jealous of the attention Kevin Durant receives and wants to branch out on his own. We may never know if such is true or not, but according to Sam Amick, the belief among many is that Russell Westbrook will become a free agent in 2017.

"The widely-held assumption is that the Los Angeles born and bred Westbrook would be looking to leave, but – as Durant kept reminding the media masses – there’s simply no way of knowing at this point because of all the endless circumstances."

Losing a player of Durant or Westbrook’s caliber is damaging enough to any team, but to lose both? That seems almost inconceivable.

Still, it seems as if it could play out to becoming a realistic scenario for the Thunder, though much of that will likely be determined by what happens in the coming seasons.

Kevin Durant’s contract expires one year before Russell Westbrook, so the Thunder won’t have to deal with potentially losing both in the same offseason, thankfully.