威少的去留會決定雷霆的未來

Russell Westbrook has a decision to make, and the Thunder's future could depend on it. (AP)

拉塞爾-威斯布魯克的去留會決定雷霆的未來（美聯社）

Russell Westbrook has yet to sign the five-year, $207-million so-called super-max extension that the Oklahoma City Thunder offered him as soon as free agency opened in July, but he did just sign a 10-year extension with Nike that will make him the richest Jordan Brand athlete not named Michael.

拉塞爾-威斯布魯克還沒有簽下雷霆在自由市場開啓之時就提供給他的一份5年2.07億美元的所謂超級頂薪續約合同。他只是與耐克續約了10年，這份合同讓他成爲了Jordan Brand中除喬丹之外球鞋合同最大的運動員。

Does one have anything to do with the other? Both should make the Oklahoma City Thunder nervous

這兩件事情之間有什麼關係嗎？當然有。而且這兩件事都會使雷霆隊感到緊張不安。

Westbrook's new Jordan Brand deal is retroactive to his MVP campaign and runs through the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN's Nick DePaula. He will be 37 years old when his new shoe contract runs out, presumably no longer the explosive supernova he's become. This is his security blanket

根據ESPN 的Nick DePaula的報道，威斯布魯克的新球鞋合同裏有MVP獎勵條款，這份合同將持續到2025-26賽季。合同結束時威斯布魯克已經37歲，他大概不會再像現在這樣貢獻爆炸性的表演了。因此這份合同也會爲他生涯末期及退役之後的生活提供保障。

Westbrook's ex-teammates James Harden and Kevin Durant make $14 million and $25 million per year from Adidas and Nike, respectively. It's safe to assume Westbrook's contract falls somewhere between those two figures, given the company's desire to make him "the face for the Air Jordan game shoe," per DePaula

威斯布魯克的前隊友詹姆斯-哈登和凱文-杜蘭特每年分別從阿迪達斯和耐克拿走140萬美元和250萬美元，所以威斯布魯克的合同的年薪大概在這兩個金額之間。DePaula的報道還稱，Jordan Brand希望威斯布魯克成爲“Air Jordan的首席代言人”。

And then there's Jordan's effusive praise of Westbrook at his recent Oklahoma Hall of Fame induction

這是邁克爾-喬丹在威斯布魯克入選俄克拉荷馬名人堂儀式上對他的讚美：

"Every time I played the game of basketball, when I stepped onto that floor, I always felt like there was someone there that never saw me play the game of basketball, and that motivated me every single night. This kid has the same passion, and you can't get that."

“每晚當我踏上球場的時候，我始終覺得，觀衆中或許有第一次看我比賽的人。這個想法激勵着我每晚都要去打出好的表現。我在這個孩子身上看到了相同的激情，這是其他人不會擁有的。”

What I mean to say here is this: Russell Westbrook, who has already made $102.7 million as a player to date, not to mention other endorsement deals, probably just doubled his career earnings, and suddenly the $53.5 million discrepancy between a super-max extension from OKC and the four-year, $153.5 million deal he could command as a free agent next summer isn't all that difference-making.

我想表達的是，威斯布魯克從成爲一個職業球員開始，迄今爲止他已經賺到了1億270萬美元的工資，這還不算可能有他工資收入兩倍那麼多的其他的贊助和廣告收入。但突然間他能多賺5350萬美元，而且這個差異的產生，不只是因爲雷霆提供給他的超級頂薪合同與他明年夏天成爲自由球員後其他球隊能爲他提供的4年1.53億美元合同之間的差異。

Thunder GM Sam Presti lived up to his promise to present Westbrook with a super-max extension on July 1, telling reporters, "I wouldn't really say that one's a negotiation," because the organization has offered their franchise player everything they can and the team is merely waiting on his answer.

雷霆總經理薩姆-普雷斯蒂已經履行了他的承諾，在當地時間7月1號爲威斯布魯克提供了一份超級頂薪合同，並且他告訴記者：“我並不認爲這會是一場談判。”因爲球隊管理層已經爲他們的核心提供了他們所能給的一切，而球隊僅僅是在等一個回答。

Throughout, Westbrook has suggested, "Oklahoma City is the place that I want to be," but he's now had two more months to consider his future, and the super-max extension remains unsigned.

威斯布魯克始終表示，“俄克拉荷馬是我唯一想去的地方”，但是現在他已經花了兩個多月的時間去思考他的未來，還沒有簽下那份超級頂薪合同。

In mid-July, sourced reports indicated the Thunder were still "cautiously optimistic" Westbrook would sign before the mid-October deadline, but that caution evolved into "anxiety" by the end of August.

在七月中旬，有消息源稱，雷霆仍然對威斯布魯克在十月中旬的截止日期前簽下合同表示“慎重樂觀”，但是這種慎重在八月底時逐漸變成了“焦急”。

Last summer, when Westbrook signed a three-year, $86 million extension with an option for the third season and the concept of a super-max extension didn't even exist, he told reporters, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be than Oklahoma City," and, "Loyalty is something I stand by," before adding, "There's no need to wait if you know where you want to be."

去年夏天，在超級頂薪合同這個概念尚未出現的時候，威斯布魯克與雷霆簽下了一份3年8600萬美元，第三年球員選項的合同。那時他對記者說“我愛俄克拉荷馬賽過愛任何城市”，“忠誠是我一直堅持的東西”以及“如果你知道想去哪兒你不會猶豫的”。

It was a defiant stance following Durant's departure to the Golden State Warriors, and one that indicated he might actually be a Thunder lifer.

這是對杜蘭特加盟金州勇士的反擊，當時所有人都覺得威斯布魯克會終老雷霆了。

That could still be the case even if he doesn't sign an extension by Oct. 16. He could agree to the same deal next summer, or, as a 10-year veteran, he could sign for 35 percent of the salary cap for any length of time. A two- or three-year contract would put him in line for another massive payday in his early 30s, whereas the max extension keeps him under contract through 2023, when he will turn 35.

即使威斯布魯克沒有在10月16日前簽下續約合同，那麼仍然會出現兩種情況，一是威斯布魯克還可以在明年夏天簽下相同的合同，二是觸發老將條款，簽下一份無年限限制的，最多佔球隊工資帽35%的合同。明年夏天簽下一份兩到三年的合同能讓威斯布魯克在30歲出頭的時候再簽下一份鉅額合同，然而這份合同將會一直持續到2023年，那時他已經35歲。

It's a question of Westbrook maximizing his earning potential or valuing longterm security, and a shoe deal that could fetch somewhere around $200 million alleviates pressure on the latter. The problem for OKC is the risk that Westbrook can sign the same shorter-term deals with any team next summer.

現在的問題在於，威斯布魯克是希望他現在的收入最大化還是希望爲他的長期規劃做打算，但是一份能獲得差不多2億美元的球鞋合同無疑會減輕威斯布魯克對未來的顧慮。對雷霆來說，他們的危險在於，其他球隊能爲威斯布魯克再明年夏天提供一份年限更短，但是年薪相同的合同。

The Thunder made significant upgrades this summer, adding George and Patrick Patterson to a team that won 47 games last season, thanks in large part to Westbrook's triple-double campaign. They should be a real threat in the West this season,

雷霆隊在這個夏天進行了重大的補強，喬治和帕特里克-帕特森加入了這支上賽季47勝的球隊，他們會加入很大程度上受到了上賽季威斯布魯克上賽季瘋狂的場均三雙表現。

and even George, who has been open about his L.A. interest next summer, conceded to Sports Illustrated, "If we get a killer season in Oklahoma, we make the conference finals or upset the Warriors or do something crazy, I'd be dumb to want to leave that."

即使是公開表示想要在明年夏天加入湖人的喬治也向《體育畫報》承認：“如果我們能夠擁有一個瘋狂的賽季，如果我們能在西決擊敗勇士，並且能夠奪得總冠軍的話，那麼離開這裏會是一個無比愚蠢的決定。”

It's hard to imagine Westbrook feeling any differently. Still, the Thunder are running the risk of losing both Westbrook and George next summer if the former doesn't sign his extension in the next month. That would completely decimate the franchise, and that has to scare the hell out of OKC's front office

我們很難想象威斯布魯克此時的想法。但雷霆仍然有在明年夏天同時失去威斯布魯克和喬治的風險，如果前者沒有在下個月簽下自己的續約合同。這樣會使雷霆的管理層崩潰並完全毀掉雷霆。

I'm not saying this would happen, but can you imagine a scenario in which Westbrook and George enjoy playing together this season, but realize OKC's ceiling is too low, and then are tempted by the thought of playing together in their hometown with the young corps of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle on a Lakers team that will always be a destination for other talented free agents?

我並不是說這種情況會發生，但是你們能想象這樣一個的場景嗎：威斯布魯克和喬治十分享受他們合作的這一個賽季，但是他們意識到這支雷霆隊的上限太低，然後，他們被與朗佐-鮑爾，布蘭登-英格拉姆和朱麗葉斯-蘭德爾這些年輕球員一起爲他們家鄉球隊效力的想法所誘惑，使湖人成爲任何有天賦的自由球員的都想效力的地方。

That is the Thunder's nightmare. Even if Westbrook were to give them every indication he plans to re-sign next summer, the remote possibility of him following Durant out the door has to be enough to scare Presti into at least considering the idea of trading Westbrook and George this season.

這將會是雷霆隊的噩夢。即使威斯布魯克的各種言行表明他會和雷霆隊重新續約，但是他會像杜蘭特一樣離開球隊的可能性足以使普雷斯蒂擔驚受怕，至少會讓他開始考慮在這個賽季中將威斯布魯克和喬治交易掉。

That is the level of uncertainty that shrouds Oklahoma City as Westbrook's indecision fills the air with doubt.

威斯布魯克的猶豫不決，使整個雷霆隊和俄克拉荷馬城都被懷疑和不確定性所籠罩。

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