Former Lakers Castoff Likely to Join Western Conference Rival: Report

Former Los Angeles Lakers star guard Russell Westbrook hasn't signed with a team more than a month after free agency started.

Westbrook has been linked to the Sacramento Kings for most of the summer, but no deal has materialized.

By all accounts, the former MVP wants to keep playing, but as the league gets younger and values 3-point shooting more, there are fewer landing spots for a ball-dominant, non-shooting point guard.

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According to reporting from ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Westbrook's list of options is narrow.

"It appears that Westbrook, who spent the first 11 years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, will play for his sixth franchise in seven seasons," MacMahon wrote in a story.

"He won't be returning to the Denver Nuggets after a roller coaster season in which Westbrook finished seventh in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.

"The all-time leader in triple-doubles won't continue the trend of storybook homecomings for future Hall of Fame point guards, a la Damian Lillard and Chris Paul.

"The Thunder will hang Westbrook's No. 0 in the rafters after he retires, but the defending champions don't have room on the roster, much less the rotation, or the desire to tinker with the chemistry from their title run.

"League sources consider the Sacramento Kings the most likely destination for Westbrook, who will turn 37 during the first month of the season.

"If that's the case, Westbrook would likely come off the bench again and share ballhandling duties with free agency addition Dennis Schroder."

Westbrook played a season and a half with the Lakers after stints with the Washington Wizards and the Houston Rockets. He was brought in to ease the ball-handling burden on LeBron James and help create opportunities for big man Anthony Davis.

The guard lacked the willingness to play off-the-ball and struggled to shoot the ball, leaving the Lakers with suboptimal floor spacing.

His poor on-court fit, along with reported locker room issues, led to the Lakers trading Westbrook away, moving on from a trade that ultimately disappointed.

At this point in his career, Westbrook can offer some energy off the bench and help score some points, but his impact on winning basketball is limited.

Even if he plays another season, the time left on his career is winding down.

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