puis dans la liste qui s’affiche, cliquez sur AdBlock
Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
After declining the player option in his Denver contract, Russell Westbrook is set to test the free agent market. Supposedly coveted by a team willing to break its piggy bank for him, he has however seen this lead dry up.
Given the good relationship he had with Nikola Jokic, some Nuggets fans thought he would stay with the franchise next season. To tell the truth, this hypothesis is still not out of the question, but now seems less obvious. Russell Westbrook has decided to decline his player option and will be free to sign wherever he pleases in the next few days.
In addition to Denver, who may be looking to keep him in exchange for an increased salary, other destinations seem to be opening up for the star point guard. Not only in the NBA, but also abroad, where his reputation remains flamboyant. A few days ago, for example, a rumour circulated that Hapoël Tel-Aviv was very interested. This interest could even lead to an “unprecedented” offer in the EuroLeague.
Russell Westbrook rejected by Hapoël Tel-Aviv
The subject of a recent lengthy interview with Basketball Sphere, George Hinas, general manager of Hapoël Tel-Aviv, was asked to comment on the Westbrook dossier. And according to him, all the information that has been circulating about his club has come out of nowhere:
George Hinas: It’s 100% fake news.
I’ve even seen some figures being bandied about, a supposed salary of $50 million a year, which is lunar. I’m aware that Hapoël Tel-Aviv attracts a lot of attention because we spend a lot of money. I counted a total of 37 players who were linked to us in rumours! (…) But to be serious, none of this is true about Westbrook. There has been no interest and no one has approached him.
It would therefore seem that the most plausible outcome in this soap opera is for the Brodie to continue his career in the USA. The Israeli team, on the other hand, would like to attract an NBA player to its ranks, namely Vasilije Micic :
George Hinas: He’s an excellent player, a EuroLeague legend, and one of the best of all time.
We spoke to him at the end of March and beginning of April. We didn’t reach an agreement then, but we’ve kept in touch with him and his agent. However, it’s not true what was reported in the Spanish media that he refused to join us because of the war. We’ve continued to talk to him, even if there’s nothing concrete at the moment. He’s one of the players we’re interested in.
