Latest Update On Kings' Pursuit of Russell Westbrook

The Kings have a logjam at the shooting guard position, but don't have another true point guard on the roster outside of the newly signed Schröder. Malik Monk helmed that position last year, but a shift back to the shooting guard position seems like the best option for the electric guard moving forward.

The Kings were also looking into the possibility of trading Monk in a sign and trade for Schröder, but no deal ever came to fruition. That doesn't mean the Kings won't move Monk to balance out their roster going forward though (even if that is going to be harder than expected).

If the Kings do end up moving Monk, they'll need another point guard to backup Schröder, and Westbrook has become one of the leading guards off the bench in recent seasons.

He doesn't play at an MVP level like he has in the past, but Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in Denver last season. His efficiency has dropped, as he shot 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three, but he's never been the most efficient player.

The additional benefit to bringing in Westbrook would be his ability to start as needed if Schröder or another player went down with an injury. He was predominantly a sixth man for Denver last season, but Westbrook did start 36 games for the Nuggets, his most games started since the 2021-22 season.

This also wouldn't be the first time that Schröder and Westbrook teamed up in the backcourt, as the two were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers for part of the 2022-23 season.

It's fair to question if the Kings truly need another guard, as their roster is already extremely imbalanced, but it still feels like they need a true backup point guard. If they have to get someone to fill that slot, it might as well be a former MVP and nine-time All-Star.