Russell Westbrook Bolsters the Sacramento Kings
The nine-time NBA All-Star, Russell Westbrook, has reached an agreement to join the Sacramento Kings, according to his agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management.
Westbrook and the Kings maintained constant communication during the offseason, while the 2017 NBA MVP waited patiently in free agency. This agreement marks his 18th season in the league.
Westbrook has ties to key Kings players, including Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine. In addition, he shares a history with Dennis Schroder and has respect for general manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie.
Westbrook is expected to officially join the team this week with a one-year contract and $3.6 million, the veteran’s minimum.
The arrival of Westbrook provides Sacramento with valuable depth at the point guard position, as he can perform both as a starter and off the bench. The Kings could benefit from his presence on the bench, especially after finishing 28th in points per game and 29th in assists per game from the bench last season.
In his first year as Kings general manager, Perry has made it clear that the franchise is looking for a team culture based on high performance and effort, attributes that Westbrook has consistently demonstrated throughout his NBA career.
In 75 games and 36 starts with the Denver Nuggets last season, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, with 44.9% field goal efficiency. In addition, Westbrook had a 52% efficiency in 2-point shots in the 2024-25 season, the best mark of his career.
In the last three seasons, Westbrook has come off the bench in 145 of the 216 games he has played, finishing in the top 10 in Sixth Man of the Year voting each season.
Westbrook, who will turn 37 in November, holds the record for most triple-doubles in NBA history (203) and is one of two players in league history to record 25,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists, along with LeBron James. Westbrook has 26,205 career points and needs 506 more points to surpass Oscar Robertson as the point guard with the most points in NBA history. In addition, he ranks eighth all-time in assists and needs 75 assists to become the eighth player with 10,000 assists in league history.
Westbrook, who left the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2018-19 as a franchise legend, will play for his seventh NBA team (Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Nuggets and now the Kings).
