Sacramento Kings Sign 9x NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook

Westbrook, 36, is coming off a lone year with the Denver Nuggets, where he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game before declining his player option to hit the open market.

Westbrook was sitting in unrestricted free agency all offseason, and many fans were growing concerned that we saw the last of the legendary point guard in the NBA. Rumors about a lucrative deal from an overseas team raised more concern, but Westbrook and the Kings stayed connected.

"Westbrook and the Kings maintained communication all offseason as Sacramento searched for point guard depth. Westbrook has bonds with Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, history with BJ Armstrong on agency side, and shared respect for Scott Perry and Doug Christie," Charania followed up.

Of course, it was expected that Westbrook and the Kings would reach a deal at some point, as Sacramento was his only reported suitor, and it would be very hard to imagine Westbrook not finding a job in the NBA.

What does Westbrook bring to the Kings?

Despite his age and on-court inconsistencies, Westbrook is one of the hardest-working players in the NBA, and he shows it every night. While Westbrook is far from his 2016-17 NBA MVP form, he brings maximum energy every game and will always show up as a playmaker and high-level defender, at his worst.

The Kings needed point guard help, as the sole addition of Schroder was not going to cut it. While the Kings have some other playmakers and far too many off-ball guards, they should greatly benefit from having a veteran guard in Westbrook that they can rely on in the second unit.

Of course, there is the concern that Westbrook will steal minutes from Sacramento's younger players, and even talks about the Kings moving on from young guard Devin Carter to avoid a logjam, but regardless, Westbrook is one of the few Hall of Famers to pass through Sacramento, and the franchise should be ecstatic about the opportunity.