Russell Westbrook Signs With Sacramento Kings

Cover photo: Russell Westbrook during the 2024-2025 NBA season with the Denver Nuggets. Photo credit: Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images.

At merciful last, veteran NBA guard Russell Westbrook has signed a deal. On Wednesday, it was reported by Chris Haynes that Westbrook has signed a one-year, $3.6 million deal for the 2025-2026 season with the Sacramento Kings. 

Westbrook, who is entering his 18th NBA season, played 75 games with the Denver Nuggets in 2024-25 and averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game in 27.9 minutes per game. He shot 44.9% from the field on 11.1 attempts per contest. 

The Kings will be Westbrook’s fourth team since 2021. He was traded in 2021 from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers. Prior to Washington, he was an all-star in his lone season as a Houston Rocket, 2019-20, when he averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. 

Early in the offseason, Westbrook was initially linked to the Kings, prior to the team acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Detroit Pistons via sign-and-trade. Rumors, too, resurfaced earlier this week. 

Now, the Kings have both veteran guards on a roster that has some youth in the backcourt with Keon Ellis (25) and Malik Monk (27) as well as 25-year-old sniper Keegan Murray and reserve forward Nique Clifford, 23. Schroder and Westbrook are good veterans to have mentoring the younger group.

Last season, the Kings were second last in the league in both bench points and bench assists. Westbrook, a career 8.0 per game helper who led the NBA in assists three times (10.3 in 2017-18, 10.7 in 2018-19, and 11.7 in 2020-21), will certainly help in that area in 2025-26. The Kings also boast veteran scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who Westbrook will help get open looks for. The team won 40 games in 2024-25 and lost 120-106 to the Dallas Mavericks in the play-in. 

The team could get to that point again, but it will be infinitely tougher in ‘25-‘26 with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans figuring to compete for playoff spots in addition to last season’s fellow play-in teams Golden State, Memphis, and the Mavericks. The Kings lack size, with Domantas Sabonis anchoring the middle with DeRozan as their projected four-man. 

Doug Christie’s team will be without Murray for at least the first 4-6 weeks of the regular season because of a UCL tear suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 10. On Oct. 15, Murray signed a $140 million extension with the club.

If anything though, the Kings will be fun to watch with the dynamic guard play of Monk, Westbrook, and Schroder. That trio, all of whom can push the pace, will be a tough cover for defenses. 

Glad the future Hall of Famer has found a home to continue playing.