Kings Announce Russell Westbrook News After Three Games

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 8:11 PM ET

Point guard Russell Westbrook joined the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal worth $3.6 million deep into the offseason, just days before the season was set to begin. Westbrook’s arrival in Sacramento marks the seventh organization he has appeared in during his 18-year career.

The 36-year-old veteran is past his prime but has still proven he can provide valuable minutes off the bench and lead a team’s second unit as he did last year with the Denver Nuggets. Throughout 75 appearances for Denver, Westbrook posted 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.9% overall and 32.3% from three-point range.

Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) © Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

With the Kings, Westbrook has continued to ramp up his workload as the season progresses. During Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook played his best game of the season throughout 27 minutes of action. He collected 18 points, six assists, six rebounds and one steal. Although Sacramento lost, Westbrook’s impact on the floor was undeniable. As a result, ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Kings made the decision to insert Westbrook into the starting lineup.

“Tonight’s starting lineup ✋⤵️ Dennis Schröder Zach LaVine DeMar DeRozan Russell Westbrook Domantas Sabonis,” the team announced on X. Westbrook’s promotion comes at the cost of Keon Ellis, who will rotate back to a bench role.

tonight’s starting lineup ✋⤵️

Dennis Schröder
Zach LaVine
DeMar DeRozan
Russell Westbrook
Domantas Sabonis pic.twitter.com/6eFJAcuHQ3
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 28, 2025

Westbrook has built one of the most accomplished careers in NBA history. He leads the league all-time in triple-doubles with 203, won MVP in 2017 and has claimed two scoring titles. Westbrook has also earned nine All-Star and nine All-NBA selections.

Despite all the individual accolades, he is still searching for his first NBA championship, and at 36, time is running out. Even so, Westbrook has made it clear he has no plans to retire after this season and remains focused on contributing wherever he is needed.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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