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May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) runs down the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Should OKC Thunder Consider Russell Westbrook Reunion?

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Oklahoma City is set for another season of contending for an NBA title, and it might be time to bring back a legend.

The Thunder are fresh off their first NBA championship, beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games back in June. After a championship parade around the city and a summer of celebration, the Thunder are finally able to turn their focus to the 2025-26 season.

With extensions handed out to the team’s young star trio and some other key role players, almost everyone from last season’s title team will be on the roster next season. While the Thunder already have 15 players on standard contracts, there might be a reason for them to shake things up ahead of the 2025-26 season.

Former Thunder star Russell Westbrook remains a free agent as September approaches, and Oklahoma City could be the best landing spot for the former MVP. Last season, the Thunder eliminated Westbrook’s Denver Nuggets in the second round before the point guard declined his player option to enter free agency.

While no deals have been lined up yet for Westbrook in free agency, there is a case to be made that the Thunder might be in a position to bring back their former star and try to finish what they started together nearly two decades ago.

Does a Westbrook reunion actually make sense?

While bringing back Westbrook would be a fun move beloved by fans and make a great story for the league, the Thunder are in the business of winning basketball games. So, Sam Presti would need to truly believe that Westbrook could be a positive addition to a team that won an NBA title only two months ago.

To even make such a deal happen, the Thunder would need to clear a roster spot, which would likely mean moving Ousmane Dieng as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Considering Dieng isn’t expected to play a big role next season, it wouldn’t be a huge problem to move the young forward.

Still, Westbrook would likely want some kind of consistent role in Mark Daigneault’s rotation, which could be tough, considering Oklahoma City’s abundance of guards. Along with being behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Westbrook would be competing for minutes against Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic, among others.

As for fit, Westbrook’s turnovers could be an issue, but his relentlessness and defensive intensity would still fit seamlessly into the Thunder’s style. Add in Westbrook’s abundance of experience, and he could be a great mentor for the young guys as the oldest player on the team by a wide margin.

If the Thunder want to rest their stars more next season after a deep postseason run, Westbrook would be a perfect player to occasionally take on a larger role and keep the energy high throughout an 82-game season. Ultimately, the fit doesn’t quite make perfect sense for Westbrook, who likely still wants to take on a sizeable role, or the Thunder, who simply have too many guards to hand a consistent role to the former MVP.

While a reunion in Oklahoma City would be fun, it would simply be unlikely to benefit either side in a meaningful way.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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