Things aren’t looking good for Hall of Fame point guard Russell Westbrook as he remains without a team as training camp fast approaches. Speaking on his podcast, Patrick Beverley defended Westbrook and claimed it was disrespectful that no team has signed him yet.
“I don’t know what’s taking so long. It’s a little disrespectful that Russ hasn’t been signed yet, I’m gonna be honest,” said Beverley. “And then he comes out and rewrites a different story. If you ask Jokic, they love to play with him. If you ask Aaron Gordon, he loves to play with him. When I was with the Lakers, I was like ‘Russell Westbrook, a cancer? Hell nah.’ This motherf**ker was stretching every day with the team, and it’s shocking to me he hasn’t been picked up yet.”
Westbrook has been on a steady decline since leaving the Thunder in 2019, but many thought he had found stability on the Nuggets, where he played a steady role alongside Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and the 2023 NBA champs.
“He won Denver some games in the playoffs, and they lost to the champs. MVP, Mr. triple-double, I’m confused.”
Westbrook is an NBA legend, MVP, and 9x All-Star with career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game on 43.9% shooting. Known for his tenacity, relentless drive, and amazing athleticism, Russ is adept in many categories, including playmaking, rebounding, and scoring.
While he struggles as a shooter on the perimeter, he can score on drives and draw fouls easily with his fearless approach. Sadly, despite his skillset, Westbrook has struggled to find success after leaving Oklahoma City, and he was called a “vampire” in the locker room during his short stint with the Lakers.
Over the years, his reputation has taken a massive hit, and his value has plummeted from where it once was as a triple-double machine. Still, it looked like Westbrook found a new home with the Nuggets last season after settling into a role off the bench, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game on 44.9% shooting.
After he declined his player option, however, Westbrook became a free agent, and only one team has shown notable interest so far: the Sacramento Kings. As a franchise looking to add proven, veteran talent, Westbrook fits their ideal backup point guard, and he’d make an interesting pairing with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Domantas Sabonis. Unfortunately for Russ, they are currently biding their time to make a bid for Jonathan Kuminga, which has delayed any pursuit of the veteran guard.
Another potential team is the Milwaukee Bucks, who have some space in the backcourt after releasing Damian Lillard. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner, Westbrook would have a real chance to win the title before stepping away for good.
Ultimately, only time will tell what happens with Westbrook, but he’s running out of time and options as he nears the prospect of going unsigned for the first time in his career. It’s not the ending he imagined and certainly not the one he deserves, but he’s done more than most players already after 17 years in the NBA and a ticket to the Hall of Fame.
