Kings FA Target: Could Former MVP Land in Sacramento?

The playoffs were whittled down to just four teams yesterday as the Oklahoma City Thunder took down the Denver Nuggets. As is the case when a new team gets eliminated, the vultures already circle to look at the options available on the Nuggets roster.

And for the Kings who are in need of a point guard, a former MVP could be hitting the free agent market: Russell Westbrook.

Even at 36 years old, Westbrook had another productive season in Denver, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals on 44.9% shooting from the field and 32.3% from deep. His percentage from three rose slightly when he was wide-open, as he hit his wide-open looks at a 34.2% clip.

Westbrook isn't a big threat to light it up from three, and he's the most efficient scorer, but it's clear that Westbrook continues to be one of the most athletic players to suit up every night. The Kings are in desperate need of length and athleticism, something Westbrook would certainly provide, standing at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan.

Westbrook choosing to come to Sacramento seems like a long shot, but the Kings could also offer him something that others may not be able to at this point in his career: a starting spot.

After trading De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento was left with no true point guard on their roster. Malik Monk did his best stepping into the role, but it was clear that they needed a true point guard to run the team.

Over the last three seasons, Westbrook has transitioned to predominantly a bench role, starting just 71 of his 216 games over the span. He did start 36 games last season with Denver, the most since his 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but his role with Denver is clearly a bench role with the roster as stands.

If starting is higher on his list than playing for a contender, the Kings could jump up as an option for the nine-time All-Star.

For the Kings, the move makes sense logistically as well, as they could potentially be able to bring in a high impact player on a small-scale contract. Westbrook made $3.3 million last season with the Nuggets, and has a player option for $3.4 million for next year. He has until 6/29/25 to decide what to do with his option, which could result in all of this speculation being for nothing.