Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook Joins the Sacramento Kings for 18th Season
Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook has reportedly agreed on a contract with the Sacramento Kings, ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season. The deal, as informed by agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management to ESPN, will mark Westbrook’s 18th season in the NBA, adding another exciting chapter to his already illustrious career.
Westbrook, who started his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder and had stints with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, and Denver Nuggets, is now headed for the Kings, his seventh team since the start of the NBA. The Kings will be Westbrook’s fourth different team since the start of the 2022-23 season.
Throughout the off-season, Westbrook and the Kings maintained communication. The 2017 NBA MVP demonstrated patience in free agency before finally signing the Sacramento deal. Westbrook’s decision to join the Kings was heavily influenced by his relationships with players such as Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine, and his respect for the team’s General Manager Scott Perry and coach Doug Christie.
Westbrook is expected to officially join the team later this week, sources said. His inclusion adds much-needed depth to the Kings’ backcourt as a point guard who can serve both as a starter and a reserve. The Kings, who ranked 28th and 29th in bench points per game and bench assists per game respectively last season, can significantly benefit from Westbrook’s presence.
In his first season as Kings GM, Perry has emphasized on creating a team culture of high motor and high effort — attributes that Westbrook has consistently displayed throughout his NBA career. His athletic prowess and unmatched competitiveness are anticipated to bring a new dynamic to the Kings.
In the previous season with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals while shooting 44.9% from the field. He shot 52% on 2-pointers in 2024-25, reflecting the best in a season in his career.
Westbrook, who turns 37 in November, holds the record for the most triple-doubles in NBA history (203) and is one of two players, along with LeBron James, to post 25,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 8,000 assists. Westbrook has 26,205 career points and needs another 506 to surpass Oscar Robertson as the highest-scoring point guard in NBA history. Westbrook also ranks eighth in career assists and needs 75 assists to become the eighth player with 10,000 career assists in league history.
Westbrook’s journey from a franchise legend with the Oklahoma City Thunder to an essential player for the Kings is a testament to his adaptability and tenacity. His move to the Kings adds another exciting dimension to the upcoming NBA season, promising captivating moments for fans and players alike.