L.A. Clippers guard Russell Westbrook. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Westbrook reacts to reports of him leaving Clippers

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 5/5/24

Russell Westbrook had a forgettable series as the Clippers lost 4-2 to the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. After notching 13 points in the Game 1 win, Westbrook couldn't score in double digits for the remainder of the series and became unplayable in critical stretches of games.

According to StatMamba, Westbrook's performance between Game 2 and Game 6 was the most inefficient five-game stretch by any player in the last 50 postseasons.

Russell Westbrook last 5 games:

5.0 PPG
1.2 APG
19.0% FG

Lowest FG% over a 5-game span in the playoffs in the last 50 seasons. pic.twitter.com/7iXJOp84js
— StatMamba (@StatMamba) May 4, 2024

Shortly after the Clippers' season-ending loss, The Athletic reported that Westbrook is expected to decline his $4M player option for the 2024-25 season and test free agency. The report added that the star guard could look for a bigger role with another team rather than continuing as a sixth man, a role he was convinced into taking by the Clippers front office.

On Saturday, Westbrook took to social media to refute the report, insinuating that someone close to the Clippers had planted stories about his unhappiness with the franchise.

"It's a difficult time for a lot of people due to certain expectations that have been placed on them," Westbrook wrote on his Instagram story. "Therefore, it's understandable that there is pressure to plant stories or point the finger for what many would classify as a disappointing end to our season."

The former MVP added that he enjoyed being the Clippers' spark plug off the bench and never had any reservations about his role. Looking ahead to next season, the 35-year-old said he's willing to "take on any role" to help position his team to achieve a more favorable outcome than a first-round exit.

Westbrook's entire social post can be read below.