Russell Westbrook, who may not have a home in the NBA this upcoming season, could be trying his luck in the East very soon if reports are to be believed. And why wouldn’t he? Apparently, Westbrook could be paid four times more overseas than what any NBA team is willing to offer him. And that too, for just playing half a season.
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The 36-year-old Westbrook is a 17-year veteran in the league. And should he choose to remain in America this upcoming season, his career will be old enough to drive! But despite being a nine-time NBA All-Star, it doesn’t seem like there is much interest in the market for the former Denver Nuggets guard.
While he hasn’t been an All-Star caliber for some time now, Westbrook had a decent run for the Nuggets last year, where he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. But does Westbrook want to continue in the NBA, where he is likely to ride the bench for most of the season? Former NBA champion Dwight Howard thinks Westbrook should stick it out. But his advice was somewhat mixed.
Having played in Taiwan after leaving the NBA in 2022, Howard recently posted an Instagram reel where he shared a truly conflicting message. “You should be in the NBA, trust me, I know how it feels, but go ahead go make that bag overseas and enjoy your life,” he told Westbrook.
In the IG reel, Howard also shared a report stating that Westbrook could follow the path set by him and Tracy McGrady, to try some Eastern medicine for $12 million.
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Now, that’s not a bad number by any means. It’s certainly a lot more than anything Westbrook could realistically expect to secure in the NBA. It should, however, be noted that Howard has had a habit of asking NBA players to move to Taiwan.
Howard has even tried convincing LeBron James, Ja Morant, and Bronny James to give it a shot. Obviously, some of these offers were made in jest, but there’s nothing wrong with shooting your shot.
LeBron already has a massive following in that part of the world and would certainly have made an impact there. In fact, the way his career is going right now with the Lakers, King James could certainly use a bit of a morale boost and a big payday!
The same goes for Westbrook as well. But it seems the guard is considering other options before settling down on the China gig. Apparently, he has been in conversation with the Sacramento Kings about joining the roster for the 2025-26 NBA season.
“I’m told there is strong mutual interest between Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings … The Kings have a need for a reserve point guard. They were 29th in bench points and 29th in bench assists last season,” ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed on NBA Today.
“Russell Westbrook helps with that, and he’s got relationships across that organization. Domantas Sabonis, he’s close with; he played with him. He played with Dennis Schröder as well. DeMar DeRozan [and] Zach LaVine, they have LA ties,” he added.
At this moment, these reports are all there is to the Westbrook story. His fans would hope he joins the Kings and continues his career in the NBA. But if that’s not possible, making a mark in China for $12 million isn’t exactly a bad second option.
