Principal Stakeholders Who Didn’t Enjoy Russell Westbrook Near The End Of His Denver Nuggets Tenure Thought It Was Absurd He Was Unemployed
Principal stakeholders who didn’t enjoy Russell Westbrook near the end of his Denver Nuggets tenure last season thought it was absurd that he was unemployed, according to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Westbrook’s unrestricted free agency finally ended on Wednesday, as the NBA legend agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings.
“When it comes to Russell Westbrook, whose extended free agency led to so many questions about whether he might be forced into NBA retirement, the truth is that he’s still a highly productive player who belongs in the league,” Amick wrote. “Case in point: I spent some time with the Denver Nuggets in training camp recently and was fascinated to find that even some of the principal stakeholders who didn’t enjoy Westbrook near the end of his Nuggets tenure last season thought it was absurd that he was unemployed.”
Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Dennis Schröder recruited Westbrook to the Kings, a league source told DallasHoopsJournal. Westbrook, one of the best players in NBA history, is signing a one-year, $3.6 million contract with Sacramento, the source said.
NBA insider Chris Haynes first reported the news about Westbrook’s contract details with the Kings.
Sabonis and Schröder were teammates with Westbrook on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Schröder also played with Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers.
LaVine and Westbrook went to UCLA, so they have a relationship off the court. Meanwhile, DeRozan and Westbrook are from California and have crossed paths several times in the offseason and at All-Star games.
Westbrook was an unrestricted free agent after declining his 2025-26 player option with the Nuggets. The prevailing expectation since August was that Westbrook would end up with the Kings, the source said.
Westbrook played in 75 games for the Nuggets last season. The future Hall of Famer averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks.
The 2016-17 MVP with Oklahoma City, Westbrook turns 37 on November 12. He has played for the Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets. The veteran has the most triple-doubles in NBA history (203).
A nine-time All-Star, Westbrook has career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.3 blocks in 1,237 games. He has made nine All-NBA teams during his iconic playing career.
Westbrook is expected to come off the bench for the Kings, the source said.
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