Russell Westbrook Rumors

Westbrook: Nuggets ‘Told Me Not To’ Pick Up Player Option

November 4th, 2025 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Returning to Denver on Monday for the first time since departing the team as a free agent over the summer, Kings point guard Russell Westbrook had a big night, racking up 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in a 130-124 loss. Asked after the game about his time with the Nuggets, Westbrook said he thought it was “great” but that “other people” didn’t necessarily feel the same way (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports).

“The truth is that they didn’t want me back,” Westbrook said. “It ain’t up to me. God always has a plan. Be patient. Not up to me. They don’t want me, that’s OK. Somebody else do.”

Westbrook, who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Denver during the 2024 offseason, played a significant role for the club, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts) during the regular season. He also contributed 11.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 3.7 RPG in 13 playoff contests (24.1 MPG).

The former MVP was lauded by coaches and teammates in Denver for his energy, competitiveness, and leadership, but he didn’t score efficiently (.449/.323/.661 shooting) and his high-energy style results in some out-of-control plays and a high turnover rate, making him a somewhat polarizing player.

Although Westbrook held a $3.47MM player option for the 2025/26 season on his Nuggets deal, he opted to turn it down in favor of unrestricted free agency. He was on the market for nearly the entire offseason before signing a new veteran’s minimum deal with Sacramento last month. Asked about that option decision, the 36-year-old suggested Denver didn’t want him to exercise it.

“They told me not to,” he said. “I don’t go anywhere I’m not wanted. I don’t need to.”

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post observes, the Nuggets underwent some significant organizational changes in the spring, hiring a new head coach and installing a new head of basketball operations. While those changes may have contributed to Westbrook’s exit – veteran center DeAndre Jordan also indicated last week that the team didn’t want to bring him back, Durando notes – new head coach David Adelman had nothing but kind words for the veteran guard prior to Monday’s game.

“He’s the most consistent energy guy I’ve ever been around,” Adelman said, per Durando. “… Huge part of why we won the first round last year against the Clippers. Huge part of some of the defensive things we could do against OKC (in the second round). So it’s really cool to see Russ get picked up by (Sacramento), and just to see the longevity and what he’s done in this unbelievable, magical career he’s had. So he should be in the NBA. It’s good to see him out there competing. Watching him on film reminded me of a lot of things — just the relentlessness of what he is.”

Kings Notes: Westbrook, Murray, Future, Maxiell

October 22nd, 2025 at 9:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

After signing with the Kings last week, veteran point guard Russell Westbrook spoke on Sunday about why and how he chose Sacramento and what his future with the team looks like.

“I don’t know how it all came together so quickly,” Westbrook said (Twitter video link via Matt George of ABC10). “Obviously, I have a lot of friends and guys that I’ve played with on this team, familiarity with our games and different things like that.”

He also discussed what he believes his role to be as a leader in a locker room.

“Leadership is not just something that, unfortunately, you guys see on the floor, but my job and one of my traits as a leader is to be able to learn about guys’ journeys off the floor, how they got to this point, what inspires them, what pushes them,” he said. “To me, that’s what I look forward to most in any part of my journey: being able to impact and inspire someone daily… to run into somebody and maybe I can inspire them to do something that they didn’t think they could do. So I look forward to doing that.”

The Kings are widely projected to be a lottery team in 2025/26, but Westbrook suggested he views those low expectations from outside observers as a source of motivation entering the season. He also squashed any idea of this being his last season, responding, simply, “Yeah, right.”

We have more Kings notes:

Despite some mixed reactions from around the league to the five-year, $140MM deal, the Kings probably couldn’t afford not to extend Keegan Murray, who is the team’s most successful homegrown talent in recent years who wasn’t traded away (or at least, hasn’t been traded yet), writes Yossi Gozlan for The Third Apron (Substack link). Gozlan refers to Murray’s new salary, which will account for around 14-15% of the salary cap moving forward, “probably the most sensible on the roster” relative to similar players around the league.
In the same article, Gozlan notes that the Kings are now looking at a projected 2026/27 payroll surpassing $200MM, making them a luxury tax team if they don’t make any major changes. On a team without a clear pathway towards competing in the Western Conference, Gozlan considers Murray the only veteran on the roster with clear long-term security.
Former Piston Jason Maxiell has joined the organization as an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter). Maxiell played 10 years in the NBA, eight of which were spent with Detroit, with whom he averaged 6.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 523 games.

Kings Notes: Westbrook, Sabonis, Carter, Murray

October 18th, 2025 at 3:12pm CST by Rory Maher

The Kings signaled throughout the offseason that they wanted to create an opening in their backcourt before signing a veteran point guard, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

However, as Fischer details, Sacramento’s front office was seemingly underwhelmed with the team’s point guard depth during training camp and preseason, and decided to sign Russell Westbrook without making another roster move. Westbrook’s minimum-salary contract is non-guaranteed.

According to Fischer, head coach Doug Christie is a fan of Westbrook’s toughness and all-out playing style. The nine-time All-Star was also praised by new GM Scott Perry when the signing was announced on Thursday.

The Kings will formally introduce Westbrook as a member of the team at a press conference on Sunday, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on the Kings:

Star center Domantas Sabonis has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 right hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in one week, the team announced today (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat). The injury means Sabonis will miss — at minimum — Sacramento’s first two regular season games. The Lithuanian big man suffered the hamstring injury on Wednesday.
Despite being a lottery pick (No. 13 overall) a year ago, second-year guard Devin Carter seems likely to be moved at some point in the future, according to Fischer, who points out that the former Providence star was involved in trade rumors through the summer and was drafted by the previous front office regime. Carter, whose rookie season was delayed after he underwent shoulder surgery last summer, struggled in four preseason games this fall, averaging 5.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal in 15.1 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .375/.100/.500. The Kings picked up his third-year option a few days ago, locking in Carter’s $5.16MM salary for ’26/27.
Several rival teams were surprised that Sacramento made such a lucrative long-term commitment to Keegan Murray, Fischer adds. The Kings formally signed Murray on Thursday to a five-year rookie scale extension that is reportedly worth $140MM. According to Fischer, many players — both free agents and extension candidates — have been struggling to land contracts north of $25MM per year; Murray’s new deal, which begins in 2026/27, will pay him $28MM annually. The 25-year-old forward will likely be out until at least mid-November after undergoing thumb surgery earlier this week.

Russell Westbrook Signs With Kings

October 17th, 2025 at 9:25am CST by Luke Adams

October 17: Westbrook’s deal is non-guaranteed, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

October 16: Westbrook is officially a King, the team announced in a press release.

“Russell embodies the identity we’re striving for in Sacramento,” said Kings general manager Scott Perry. “His resume speaks for itself and I’m excited to work with someone so accomplished, who is fully committed to competing and winning. We expect him to strengthen our point guard position and provide leadership both on and off the court.”

October 15: Free agent point guard Russell Westbrook has agreed to sign with the Kings, agent Jeff Schwartz tells Shams Charania of ESPN.

Westbrook has been linked to Sacramento since the start of free agency. Earlier in the summer, there was a sense that the team would need to trade a guard in order to balance its roster and create an opening in the rotation for Westbrook, but Charania reported last week that there was still “strong mutual interest” between the former MVP and the Kings. Now the two sides are in agreement on a deal.

According to Charania, Westbrook has bonds with Kings veterans Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, as well as assistant general manager B.J. Armstrong, who used to be a player agent. And while the Kings are relatively deep in the backcourt, with Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, and Devin Carter on their bench, they lacked an experienced traditional point guard behind Dennis Schröder.

Westbrook, who will turn 37 next month, has transitioned into a complementary role in recent years after earning nine All-Star nods earlier in his career. Last season, he appeared in 75 games for Denver, making 36 starts and playing 27.9 minutes per night. He registered averages of 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, with a shooting line of .449/.323/.661.

Although Westbrook earned praise from some Nuggets teammates and coaches for his motor and competitiveness, his playing style results in plenty of turnovers (3.2 per game last season) and he’s not a reliable outside shooter, which can create lineup and spacing issues.

Those were presumably among the reasons why he remained unsigned until three-and-a-half months into free agency after declining a $3.47M player option in June. However, new general manager Scott Perry views Westbrook as a good fit for the “high motor, high effort” culture he wants to establish in Sacramento, per Charania.

Westbrook will sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract, per James Ham of the Kings Beat (Twitter link). On that deal, he’ll earn a $3,634,153 salary in 2025/26 while the club carries a cap hit of $2,296,274. Ham is one of several reporters who have stated that the deal is expected to become official on Thursday.

There’s a spot for Westbrook on the Kings’ projected 15-man roster. The team is currently carrying 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, with Ellis and Terence Davis on non-guaranteed deals. Westbrook and Ellis are presumably on track to fill those last two openings, with Davis the odd man out.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Christie, Westbrook, Hayes, Collins

October 17th, 2025 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

Within a story breaking down the Kings‘ decision to sign Russell Westbrook, Sam Amick of The Athletic says that “hordes” of opposing scouts have been attending Sacramento games during the preseason, since teams around the league anticipate that the Kings will be sellers at February’s trade deadline.

Westbrook is among several players on the Kings’ roster who will have something to prove this season, according to Amick, who notes that head coach Doug Christie falls into that category too.

As Amick details, citing league sources, the new contract that Christie signed in the spring when he was named the team’s permanent head coach is only guaranteed for two seasons, with a third-year team option. And his salary is only about $2MM annually in those first two years, followed by a significant increase if his option is exercised. In other words, Christie will have plenty of motivation to show during the next couple years that he deserves to keep his job.

We have more from around the Pacific Division:

Malik Monk, who played with Westbrook in Los Angeles, is excited to have his former teammate join the Kings, as Sean Cunningham of KCRA News relays (Twitter video link). Referring to Westbrook as “probably one of the best teammates I had,” Monk added that he thinks Westbrook can hold his own as an undersized power forward and defend opposing fours, which would help the club while Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) is sidelined.
After teaming up with Luka Doncic as members of the Lakers, center Jaxson Hayes wants to do so in international basketball competitions too. Hayes told reporters this week that he’s working on getting Slovenian citizenship in the hopes of representing the country in future competitions, per Eurohoops. A spokesperson for the Slovenian Basketball Federation confirmed that discussions are ongoing about adding a naturalized player at the center spot, but declined to offer specifics or confirm that Hayes is the player in question. “We are aiming to secure this player for a longer period to ensure the team’s stability in the coming years,” that spokesperson said.
Speaking to Law Murray of The Athletic about the offseason deal that sent him from Utah to Los Angeles and his expectations for the coming season, John Collins said the Clippers were “one of the first teams” he thought of when his name began to pop up in trade rumors. His head coach and teammates also expressed excitement about the fit. “It’s great. We get a big player like John on the floor, alongside Kawhi (Leonard), teams have a nightmare as far as matching up,” Tyronn Lue said. “You want to put a smaller guy on John, or a smaller guy on Kawhi? … (Collins’) versatility on both sides of the basketball is a huge thing for us.”

Stein’s Latest: Giannis, Westbrook, Mavericks, Referees

October 13th, 2025 at 8:03am CST by Arthur Hill

If Giannis Antetokounmpo is ever traded, it’s more likely to happen during the offseason, Marc Stein of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). That’s the conclusion Stein reaches after listening to the chatter out of Milwaukee since it was revealed last week that the Bucks and Knicks had trade discussions regarding the Greek superstar during the summer.

Stein cites Antetokounmpo’s response when asked about the rumor, saying that he’s happy in Milwaukee now but could reconsider his stance in “six, seven months.” He also said the idea of forcing a trade is “temptation,” adding that it “starts when the season ends (and lasts) until the season begins.”

Given that background, Stein believes this might be a “make-or-break” season regarding Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks. The front office took a huge gamble over the summer, waiving and stretching Damian Lillard‘s contract to create enough cap space to sign Myles Turner away from Indiana. However, the rest of the roster is virtually the same as it was when the team finished 48-34 last season and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Antetokounmpo has repeatedly expressed his desire to compete for another NBA title and seems likely to revisit the idea of changing teams if Milwaukee can’t make progress toward that goal.

Antetokounmpo’s contract runs through 2026/27, with a $62.8MM player option for the following season. Stein points out that he’s about to enter the first season of a three-year, $175MM extension he agreed to shortly after the Bucks traded for Damian Lillard in 2023.

Stein shares information from around the league:

Russell Westbrook remains a free agent eight days away from the start of the regular season, but he appears very unlikely to continue his career overseas. League sources tell Stein that there have been “zero discussions” about that possibility. A report on Sunday indicated “strong mutual interest” between Westbrook and the Kings, and Stein’s sources say the 36-year-old guard remains focused on his next NBA opportunity, even if it doesn’t come until later in the season.
The Mavericks are expected to play two preseason games at The Venetian Macao resort next October, Stein hears. He adds that team owner Patrick Dumont was instrumental in helping the NBA rebuild its business relationships with China following a 2019 dispute sparked by Daryl Morey’s online support of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
NBA referees have been wearing earpieces during the preseason to allow them to communicate easier with each other, Stein adds, and they could become standard equipment when the regular season begins.

Shams: Kings, Russell Westbrook Have ‘Strong Mutual Interest’

October 12th, 2025 at 12:02pm CST by Rory Maher

Veteran point guard Russell Westbrook remains an unrestricted free agent after he declined his $3.47MM player option with the Nuggets in June. Throughout the offseason, Westbrook has been repeatedly linked to the Kings, and ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Friday that the two sides continue to have “strong mutual interest” (Twitter video link).

“I’m told there is strong mutual interest between Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings,” Charania said (hat tip to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports). “And the Kings have a need for a reserve point guard. They were 29th in bench points, 29th in bench assists last season. Russell Westbrook helps with that, and he’s got relationships across that organization.

“Domantas Sabonis, he’s close with, played with him. He played with Dennis Schröder as well. DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, they have L.A. ties as well. BJ Armstrong, the new assistant general manager there. He knows BJ Armstrong from the agency side, and he does have respect with Scott Perry, their new general manager, and Doug Christie, their new head coach.

“We’ll see if a deal gets done before the start of the season or during this upcoming year.”

Carmichael Dave of SactownSports.com (Twitter link) posits that there’s about a 70 percent chance that Westbrook will sign with Sacramento at some point, assuming the two sides can figure out the financials.

The plugged-in radio host also hears Westbrook has a lucrative contract offer on the table to play in China, but the former NBA MVP likely wouldn’t go that route until after the All-Star game, which is in his hometown of Los Angeles.

The Kings currently only have 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts, plus Keon Ellis on a non-guaranteed deal and Terence Davis on a training camp pact.

Westbrook, 36, played a significant role for the Nuggets after signing with Denver as a free agent during the 2024 offseason. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts) during the regular season, with a .449/.323/.661 shooting line. He also contributed 11.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 3.7 RPG in 13 playoff contests (24.1 MPG).

And-Ones: Westbrook, Durant, WNBA Coaches, Caboclo, Fournier, More

October 9th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Dana Gauruder

Russell Westbrook remains an unsigned free agent and Rockets forward Kevin Durant wouldn’t mind a reunion with his former teammate, he said on the “Up & Adams” show (video link).

“Russ is a legend. He deserves to be in the NBA right now,” Durant said. “I think he deserves to walk out of the NBA on his terms. That would be dope.”

If Westbrook is signed in the short term, it won’t be with the Rockets. They’re hard-capped and can’t sign a veteran right now, even if it’s a minimum contract.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

There are five current openings for WNBA head coaches. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears that several of those teams are considering NBA assistant coaches with G League head coaching experience for those positions. Fischer notes that Nate Tibbets had that type of background and is the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury, who are currently in the WNBA Finals. Former Clippers assistant Natalie Nakase guided Golden State’s WNBA franchise to a winning record in the team’s inaugural season, earning Coach of the Year honors.
Hapoel Tel Aviv’s Bruno Caboclo will miss several months of action after undergoing back surgery, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net reports. The NBA veteran big man joined the Reds ahead of last season and appeared in 23 games, including three starts, averaging 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest. Caboclo, 30, appeared in 105 NBA games, mostly recently a six-game stint with Houston during the 2020/21 season.
Longtime NBA forward Evan Fournier would like to finish his career with Olympiacos, he said in a recent TV interview as relayed by Askounis. “I feel very good here and I want to finish my career here,” he said, “I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but for me that’s the goal.” Fournier signed a three-year extension in July. Fournier appeared in 704 regular season games throughout his NBA career, making 504 starts and averaging 13.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 27.7 minutes per night.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton has unveiled his win total projections for each NBA team, from the Thunder (59.2) at the top to the Wizards (14.2) at the bottom.

Kings Rumors: Kuminga, Westbrook, Carter

August 28th, 2025 at 1:31pm CST by Rory Maher

In an offseason discussion with his colleagues Fred Katz and Marcus Thompson II, Sam Amick of The Athletic states that the Kings have been the “most serious” sign-and-trade suitor for Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer.

According to Amick, Sacramento has been “resisting the urge” to make “smaller” trades this offseason because the front office has placed a higher priority on trying to acquire Kuminga. Elaborating further, Amick hears the Kings are more likely to sign Russell Westbrook if they know they can’t land Kuminga.

The Kings aren’t expected to sign Westbrook, with whom they’ve been linked throughout the summer, unless they can create a roster opening in the backcourt, Amick notes. Several other reporters have said similarly for several weeks, including Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), whose latest story was released after The Athletic’s.

Sources tell Fischer the Kings “continue to covet” Westbrook, who played for Denver last season. While Sacramento is reportedly no longer actively shopping Malik Monk, people around the league think second-year guard Devin Carter may still be moved, according to Fischer, who observes that the former Providence star was drafted by former GM Monte McNair.

Carter has reportedly been offered to Golden State in sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, though the Warriors aren’t believed to have interest in that proposal.

Carter, the 13th overall pick of last year’s draft, was limited to 36 games as a rookie due to a shoulder injury. He was dominant in five G League games with the Stockton Kings (26.6 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.2 blocks on .517/.380/.733 shooting) but didn’t make a major impact in his limited NBA run in 2024/25 (3.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.1 APG on .370/.295/.591 shooting in 11.0 MPG).

Kuminga’s latest Instagram post has the young restricted free agent projecting confidence despite the lengthy contract standoff with Golden State, a situation Amick calls “borderline contentious.” Amick says he wouldn’t be surprised if Kuminga ultimately signs his $8MM qualifying offer instead of accepting the Warriors’ two-year, $45MM deal, which is guaranteed for $21.75MM (2026/27 is a team option).

However, as Amick writes, neither side will really start to feel pressure until mid-September, with training camp and the Oct. 1 deadline to sign a qualifying offer just a couple weeks away at that point.

Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook

August 25th, 2025 at 9:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Recent reports indicate that the Kings are the only team with genuine interest in signing free agent guard Russell Westbrook.

However, that comes with a major stipulation — they first have to clear some salary and some playing time to make that happen. Sacramento already signed a veteran point guard in Dennis Schröder, so the only way Westbrook could get a meaningful role is if Sacramento deals either Malik Monk or 2024 No. 13 overall pick Devin Carter.

Both of those guards have been the subject of trade rumors this summer. That’s in part due to the Kings’ interest in trading for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. One recent report declared that the Kings are still interested in finding a new home for Monk. A subsequent report stated that Sacramento isn’t actively engaged in any discussions about a Monk deal.

Westbrook will be 37 in November but it’s still somewhat surprising that his market is so limited. He appeared in 75 regular season games with the Nuggets last season, including 36 starts, averaging 13.3 points. 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He also appeared in 13 postseason games but struggled to make an impact.

He could have guaranteed himself $3.47MM by exercising his player option but chose to test the market instead. There have been no indications in recent weeks that Denver is showing interest in a reunion, and the same goes for his previous two teams, the Lakers and the Clippers.

That brings us to today’s topic: Do you think the Kings will eventually sign free agent guard Russell Westbrook? If not, do you think he’ll find another landing spot and if so, what will be his likely destination?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.