It’s Happening Again With Russell Westbrook

When Russell Westbrook turned down his player option with the Denver Nuggets, many were left scratching their heads.

At 37 years old, it seemed he could have been pursuing a bigger deal than the veteran minimum elsewhere.

However, it turns out that Westbrook barely had a market at all.

His free agency saga dragged into October, leaving fans and analysts wondering if his phone would ever ring again.

Even Sam Amick, after spending time around the Nuggets, noted that some within the organization were baffled by the league’s total lack of interest in Westbrook, despite his undeniable talent.

Reports suggested that Westbrook was chasing a larger payday, while others speculated that the Nuggets simply didn’t see him fitting into their rotation.

Regardless of the reason, Westbrook ended up in a familiar position: on the outside looking in.

His chaotic free agency finally reached a wild conclusion when he signed with the Sacramento Kings just before the regular season tipped off.

And just like that, the polarizing updates about Russell Westbrook began to roll in.

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Just before Westbrook signed his deal, I posted a video titled “Everything Just Changed for Russell Westbrook.”

Ironically, right after I posted it, everything did change.

Westbrook officially decided to continue his career with the Sacramento Kings, which was the one team I least wanted to see him join.

I mentioned how joining a middle-of-the-road Sacramento squad to pad stats might be the most Westbrook way to wrap up his career in the eyes of the public, and that’s definitely not a good thing.

Think about it: Russell Westbrook is undeniably one of the most dynamic yet polarizing guards in NBA history.

He’s legendary for his freakish athleticism and jaw-dropping triple-double performances.

However, for every night he carried his team with those absurd stat lines, there have been plenty of rough performances and questionable decisions, particularly later in his career.

These performances often came at the expense of his team, leading many to believe that Westbrook simply isn’t a winning player and is solely focused on his stats.

He has previously stated that anything less than averaging a triple-double wouldn’t be a good season for him in his eyes, highlighting his focus on personal statistics over team success.

This mindset raises concerns, especially when filling up the stat sheet comes at the expense of the team’s overall performance.

I didn’t want Westbrook to end up in Sacramento because I feared he would have solid statistical games on what projects to be a mediocre Kings team late in his career.

Instead, I wanted to see him build on the momentum he gained in Denver, embracing a meaningful role and chasing wins on a legitimate contender.

He’s simply too talented to not have a secure role on a winning team at this stage in his career.

Even if the Nuggets didn’t see him as a key rotation piece, Westbrook could still have offered tremendous value by embracing a veteran leadership role and positively impacting the locker room.

The toughest pill to swallow about Westbrook ending up in Sacramento is realizing that he wasn’t even close to a priority for the franchise.

Despite some of his new teammates, like DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, expressing excitement about his arrival, Sacramento didn’t offer him a fully guaranteed deal.

So while it’s great that he landed somewhere, especially at his age, it also means he’s literally clinging to his spot in the NBA.

Westbrook now has zero margin for error.

He can’t afford any locker room friction, especially since reports indicate that the Kings are concerned about his past behavior.

According to sources, some members of the Kings are worried about Westbrook’s poor shooting, decision-making in critical moments, and his tendency to turn the ball over too often.

Additionally, they’re concerned about how he will react if he doesn’t finish games in the fourth quarter, as he previously pouted when taken out of games with the Clippers and Nuggets.

To be honest, that report felt like pouring gasoline on an already existing fire just for fun.

How worried can they genuinely be about Westbrook causing drama when they’ve handed him nothing more than a non-guaranteed minimum contract?

It’s like being concerned about a $2 subscription that can be canceled at any time.

In this scenario, they’re acting like Westbrook is a gym membership or something.

If the problem can vanish with the click of a button, then it’s probably not a problem worth losing sleep over.

I didn’t want Westbrook to go to Sacramento, but if he’s happy, then I’m happy for him.

The circumstances may not be ideal, but it appears he’s grateful to still be playing, which he absolutely should be.

After his tumultuous time in Los Angeles, it’s nothing short of a miracle that Westbrook’s career is still ongoing.

Recently, Patrick Beverley shared passionate insights into what really went down during Westbrook’s time with the Lakers, emphasizing that he got a bad rap due to the team’s struggles.

Beverley pointed out that Westbrook has been on the minimum since leaving the Lakers, which is unprecedented for a player of his caliber.

Despite being an MVP and one of the top point guards in NBA history, Westbrook finds himself in this precarious position.

Reportedly, Westbrook grew tired of LeBron James’ perceived inauthenticity during their time together in Los Angeles.

He expressed frustration over LeBron’s behavior, saying he hates “that fake stuff” and simply can’t do it.

There was a time during a Lakers team event when LeBron and Anthony Davis walked out before Will Smith spoke, leaving Westbrook confused about the situation.

This incident, along with other reported grievances, paints a picture of a strained relationship that ultimately contributed to Westbrook’s departure.

As Westbrook made his debut with the Sacramento Kings, the start wasn’t what he had hoped for.

The Kings lost to the Suns after blowing a 17-point lead, and Westbrook’s stat line wasn’t pretty: six points on two of eight shooting, along with six rebounds, one assist, one block, and two turnovers.

His first bucket in a Kings uniform was an and-one, encapsulating the Westbrook experience perfectly.

Despite the rocky start, Sacramento sports anchor Matt George pointed out that Westbrook had been coaching his teammates on the floor nearly as much as the head coach, Doug Christie.

Though I wasn’t thrilled about the signing, if Sacramento allows Westbrook to be himself while positively impacting the younger players, his contributions could extend beyond just the box score.

At some point, the Kings need to look at the big picture, and this is something we will definitely be discussing more in the future.