The wait is over. Russell Westbrook is officially headed to Year 18 after the Sacramento Kings signed him to a one-year $3.6 million veteran minimum deal on Wednesday.
Sacramento was the lone team that had been seriously linked to Westbrook all summer long after the 2017 NBA MVP declined his player option with the Denver Nuggets last summer. But after Westbrook remained unsigned at the start of October, many thought that the Kings had lost interest. However, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the two sides never lost contact throughout the offseason, and on Wednesday, they finally put pen to paper.
"Westbrook and the Kings maintained communication all offseason as the 2017 NBA MVP remained patient in free agency and now lands a deal for his 18th season. Westbrook has bonds with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, history alongside Dennis Schroder in the backcourt and with assistant general manager BJ Armstrong on the player representation side, and shared respect for general manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie," wrote Charania.
Finding a team didn't appear to be a problem for Westbrook after averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting a career-best 52 percent from two-point distance for the Nuggets last season. However, after Russ decided to hit free agency, the market suddenly became barren.
Training camp came and went, and when the preseason games began with Westbrook still jobless, some thought it was the end. A lot of talking heads and analysts spoke about Russ' curious case, trying to rationalize why he could not find a taker. Ultimately, patience became a virtue for the former OKC Thunder star.
"In his first season as Kings general manager, Perry has made clear that the franchise wants a team culture of high motor and high effort -- attributes that Westbrook has displayed over his NBA career," added Shams.
That motor and effort were Russ' traits that Hall of Famer Allen Iverson spoke about recently. While doing his promo tour for his new book "Misunderstood," the Sixers legend talked about the passion that Westbrook brings every night and how it always reminds him of himself back in his playing days.
"Russ went hard, right? Like Russ — he plays every game like it's his last. You can tell, right? The energy level is always the same. It's never a nonchalant aspect of his game. Everything is full effort," Iverson declared . "And that's not taking away from anybody else because I love so many guys."
Westbrook will be turning 37 very soon, and he is no longer the triple-double machine that he once was. While he still has some explosiveness, it's not the kind that made him one of the most feared guards in the league. However, he can still produce numbers, and for a Kings team that ranked in the "Bottom 5" in bench points and assists, he is going to help them if given the chance to play. But even if he does not get the same exposure as he did last year in Mile High, Russ' presence in practice daily and in the locker room during games will undoubtedly come in handy for Sacramento.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
