“Why would a small market absorb 47 million? If I’m a OKC fan, I’m gonna be ticked off” - Shannon Sharpe says he doesn’t see Russell Westbrook joining the Thunder, says it’ll be a good move for Russ

Russell Westbrook had a disappointing season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his fourth team in the last four years. The Lakers won only 33 games, and the point guard had some of the worst performances of his career.

The worst thing about this story? Westbrook is expected to opt-in to the final year of his contract. He has a player option on it, and if he exercises it, he will be paid $47.1 million next season.

The Lakers are in a lot of trouble as they have a player who is a bad fit for them. This player, however, is also one of the highest-paid players in the entire NBA.

Will the Lakers send Russell Westbrook back to the Oklahoma City Thunder? (Image via Getty Images)

There has been a lot of talk about potential destinations for Russell Westbrook in case of a trade, and one of the teams that has been talked about a lot is the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Russell Westbrook had some of the best years of his career in Oklahoma City. This is where he established himself as a superstar and one of the best players in the league. While playing for the Thunder, the nine-time NBA All-Star had three straight seasons in which he averaged a triple-double.

Unfortunately, Westbrook didn't achieve success with the Thunder, and he was sent to the Houston Rockets in 2019. The point guard also played for the Washington Wizards right after Houston, and he is now with the Lakers.

The proposal to trade Russell Westbrook to the Oklahoma City Thunder sounds interesting, but it would most likely hurt the team. Shannon Sharpe doesn't think this is a good idea for them and that only Westbrook would benefit from this trade.

"I don't see it happening. I understand it would be a great situation for Russ... Everything about Russ is tied to OKC... Why would a small market team absorb $47 million? If I'm an OKC fan, I'm going to be ticked off if you take Russ' contract at $47 million."

Sharpe explained how the Thunder let James Harden walk away, instead of paying him, which is why taking Westbrook's massive contract makes no sense.

Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden were a fantastic trio for the Oklahoma City Thunder. They even reached the 2012 NBA finals, but came up short. However, this was their last season together as the Thunder let Harden leave.

The NBA analyst pointed out how the Thunder refused to pay James Harden, even though all three of those players were young and had a shot at another NBA championship.

What would be Russell Westbrook's reasons for returning to OKC?

Paying Russell Westbrook now makes no sense at all since he brings nothing to the team. Even with him, the Thunder would still not be a great team who could compete for a championship.

Moving back to Oklahoma would benefit the point guard as he would play in front of the fans who love him. There would be no pressure on him, and he would, most likely, play much better than he did in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, his performances probably wouldn't be good enough to justify paying him almost $50 million.