Russell Westbrook Facing Decision After LeBron James News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jul 12, 2026 5:19 PM ET

Russell Westbrook is one of the most accomplished free agents still on the market. The 2017 NBA MVP is preparing for his 18th NBA season after spending 2025-26 with the Sacramento Kings, where he showed he can still be an effective contributor despite no longer being in his athletic prime. Westbrook averaged 15.2 points across 64 games before a late-season wrist injury brought his campaign to an early end.

Although Westbrook is no longer the player who averaged a triple-double for four different seasons, he proved last year that he remains capable of helping a playoff-caliber team. His performance has kept him on the radar of franchises looking to strengthen their backcourt ahead of the 2026-27 season. That has naturally led to speculation surrounding several contenders, including the Miami Heat.

Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Miami is among the teams that could make sense for Westbrook. After pairing Giannis Antetokounmpo with Bam Adebayo, the Heat have championship ambitions and already project Davion Mitchell as their starting point guard. Adding Westbrook would give Erik Spoelstra another experienced ball-handler and proven playmaker to lead the second unit while providing insurance in the backcourt.

However, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, there is one significant complication: LeBron James.

The league’s all-time leading scorer decided to end his eight-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers and take his talent elsewhere. Miami has emerged as one of the teams frequently linked to the four-time NBA champion, alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers, as James weighs the next chapter of his career. Shams Charania confirmed Wednesday on “The Stephen A Smith Show” that Antetoukounmpo wants James in Miami.

According to Bondy, however, James signing with the Heat could prevent Westbrook from playing in South Beach.

“Russell Westbrook is a candidate to join the Heat but not if LeBron signs in Miami.”

As noted in my story today from Vegas, the Miami Heat are the team to watch for free agent Russell Westbrook, league sources sayhttps://t.co/50yG0aHZwa
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) July 12, 2026

The two shared the floor for one and a half seasons with the Lakers after Los Angeles acquired Westbrook in the summer of 2021. The partnership never lived up to expectations, with the Lakers finishing 33-49 and missing the playoffs during their first season together before Westbrook was traded midway through the following campaign.

Since then, there has been persistent speculation about where their relationship stands, though neither player has publicly addressed it in recent years.

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

More must-reads: