Report: Westbrook signs most lucrative Jordan Brand deal ever
Russell Westbrook has yet to sign the approximately $200-million extension the Oklahoma City Thunder put in front of him at the start of the offseason, but he isn't wanting for long-term security.
The reigning MVP has inked a 10-year extension with Nike's Jordan Brand, sources told ESPN's Nick DePaula, adding that the deal will be the most lucrative ever for a Jordan athlete.
Westbrook's five-year deal with the brand was set to expire next fall, but the extension will kick in immediately, and the pay raise therein will also be retroactively applied to his 2016-17 season, according to DePaula's sources. In terms of additional years of control, that makes it more of an eight-year extension, keeping Westbrook with Jordan through at least the 2025-26 season.
Westbrook has never had a signature Jordan Brand shoe, but the process to develop one for him is underway, DePaula reports.
The deal also reportedly contains two notable additional clauses: One stipulates that the brand will contribute an annual donation to Westbrook's "Why Not?" Foundation. The other is an "ambassador clause" that offers Westbrook "additional Jordan Brand legacy potential" once his NBA career is over.