Sky-high temptation! Westbrook may say goodbye to the NBA

NBA legendary point guard Russell Westbrook may usher in a major career turning point! According to European basketball journalist Nemanja Zoric, Israeli basketball giant Tel Aviv Hapur has had preliminary contact with Westbrook and plans to provide a huge contract that is "unprecedented in European basketball history" to invite the former MVP to join.

If Westbrook accepts the offer, he will become another NBA All-Star player who will switch to the European arena after Beverly.

Westbrook currently has one year left in his contract with the Nuggets ($3.47 million), but if he chooses to break out of the contract, he can only sign a veteran's basic salary in the NBA (about 4 million).

However, the offer in Tel Aviv Hapur may far exceed this number - it is rumored that the annual salary may exceed 5 million euros (about 5.4 million US dollars), becoming the highest salary in European basketball history.

Last summer, Beverly left the NBA for the club's "unrejectable offer" and said bluntly: "They gave me everything I wanted." Now, Hapur is doing the same, trying to impress Westbrook with money + core status.

This season, Westbrook transformed into a substitute playmaker + defensive vanguard in the Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and a three-point shooting percentage of 34.6% (career high).

Despite the decline in data, his empty cut score (126 points) hit a record high in the past 12 years, and his defensive steal rate (2.1%) ranked among the top five point guards, proving that he can still affect the game.

However, the sluggish performance in the second round of the playoffs (9.9 points per game, 21.9% from three-point shooting) made the Nuggets wait and see his future. If Westbrook chooses to leave the team, the Nuggets may not keep it with all their might.

For Westbrook, a transition to Europe not only means a financial leap, but also a redefinition of his career. Although Westbrook still proves that he still has the power to fight in the NBA, the fierce competition and age pressure have made his future full of uncertainty.

The European arena is relatively slow, and the tactical system emphasizes team cooperation, which may allow Westbrook to regain the dominance of the arena while extending his career.

However, Westbrook also faces many concerns. Once he goes to Europe, he will completely bid farewell to the NBA spotlight and be separated from his family for a long time; and the confrontation style and schedule of European basketball are hugely different from that of the NBA, and the difficulty of adaptation cannot be underestimated.

In addition, his NBA contract has one year left, and if he chooses to stay in the United States with a basic salary, it is still unknown whether he can find a more suitable next company.