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4 Teams That Can Rescue Russell Westbrook From Endless NBA Free Agency
As we near September, future Hall of Famer and former league MVP Russell Westbrook remains a free agent.
While it’s not unusual for a 36-year-old to still be unsigned this late, Westbrook averaged a solid 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds last season.
Those numbers swelled to 15.3, 7.0 and 6.1 for the 36 games Russ started for the Denver Nuggets.
Russ still has something to offer, especially for teams that need a little playmaking punch off the bench.
And the ones that make the most sense for him can be found below.
Sacramento Kings
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The Sacramento Kings have spent the last few years morphing into some kind of West Coast version of the Chicago Bulls and unloading a pair of All-Star point guards in De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton.
They made up for at least a bit of the loss of playmaking by signing Dennis Schröder, but plenty of their point guard minutes are currently slated for combo guards like Malik Monk and Keon Ellis.
Westbrook doesn't bring the outside shooting that lineups with DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis need, but he did hit 43.9 percent of his three-point attempts from the corners in 2024-25.
More importantly, he can have an impact as a driver against second units when Schröder is off the floor.
Miami Heat
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Much like the Kings, the Miami Heat's point guard rotation is largely populated by combo or shooting guards.
Right now, it looks like Tyler Herro could be the starter at the 1.
And while Westbrook likely wouldn't do much to change that possibility, having a real, veteran point guard on the roster could stabilize a second unit that figures to include lots of younger talents like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jović and Davion Mitchell.
In lineups with Herro and Norman Powell, Westbrook's ability to drag defenders to the paint as a driver could create precious extra time for those shooters outside, too.
New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks addressed a lack of depth in the backcourt by adding the recently bought out Jordan Clarkson, but they were reportedly interested in Russ in July, and he could still provide a boost to the team's playmaking.
Particularly in lineups with lots of shooting from Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, Westbrook's ability to get to the rim could be dangerous.
Russ himself would obviously benefit from time surrounded by so much shooting, too. It's tough for defenders to cheat off the three-point line when all those options are on the floor, which would certainly widen Russ' driving lanes.
Milwaukee Bucks
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Westbrook and Giannis Antetokounmpo's styles could certainly clash. Neither's three-point shot commands a ton of respect. Both like to control the ball and individual possessions. And both like to get to the paint.
If they shared the floor, the offense could start to feel awfully cramped.
But they also have a backcourt rotation currently populated by Kevin Porter Jr., Cole Anthony, Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green. There are some strengths there, but it's also not hard to imagine Westbrook forcing his way into some minutes there.
And if he was there, it's not like Milwaukee would have to shoehorn him into playing time with Giannis. In fact, he could be a good option for the non-Giannis minutes.
Surrounded by shooters like Green, Trent, Taurean Prince and/or Myles Turner, Westbrook could still cause some issues for Eastern Conference defenses.
