Westbrook Signs One-Year Deal With Kings

Russell Westbrook agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million veteran‑minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings for the 2025–26 season, marking his 18th NBA season and seventh franchise. The 36‑year‑old, a nine‑time All‑Star and the NBA’s career leader in triple‑doubles (203), joins an already crowded backcourt that includes DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Zach LaVine and Dennis Schröder, raising questions about whether he will start or serve as a high‑usage bench playmaker. After a productive reserve year with the Denver Nuggets (13.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.9 RPG, .449 FG), Westbrook is expected to provide playmaking, energy and veteran leadership to help shore up the Kings’ weak bench assists and secondary ball‑handling, and the signing also provides insurance after Keegan Murray underwent thumb surgery. Westbrook has publicly dismissed retirement talk and said he intends to keep playing, and he is also nearing career scoring and assist milestones. The one‑year deal gives Sacramento low‑cost flexibility — it could pay off as mentorship and depth or expose a roster imbalance among aging guards — and the signing has reignited attention to past Lakers‑era friction reported in a recent book excerpt and an incident involving declining to sign Lakers jerseys.