On Wednesday, it was reported by ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania that the Sacramento Kings had reached a deal with point guard Russell Westbrook with just a week remaining until the NBA season kicks off. Many fans were wondering if Westbrook, one of the most iconic players of his generation, would be picked up by any team ahead of his potential 18th season, and now, the former league MVP will be suiting up for the men in purple.
Westbrook has bounced around the league over the last few years with mixed results, and Kings fans had a variety of reactions to the news.
“In the wake of the Keegan Murray injury, when Keegan is the team’s only real wing, adding an 8th guard makes a ton of sense,” wrote one fan on Bluesky.
Indeed, the Kings have a plethora of guards on their roster, including DeMar DeRozan, Malik Monk, Zach LaVine, and others. However, most of them fall into the shooting guard category, as another user mentioned on Bluesky.
“Sacramento didn't have another true PG on its roster outside of Dennis Schroder, and now they have Russell Westbrook, who averaged 13-5-6 last year with Denver. Westbrook's 6.1 assists per game would have led the Kings last season,” added another.
Overall, it seems that most Kings fans are reserving judgment until waiting to see how Westbrook looks in Sacramento.
An interesting move for the Kings
The Sacramento Kings had a brief moment of prosperity in 2023, making the NBA playoffs and very nearly beating the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors, but things have disintegrated from there, and the Kings now enter this season in NBA no man's land, likely too talented to bottom out but not talented enough to compete.
Westbrook will certainly bring his fair share of energy and some highlight plays to the Sacramento fanbase, but whether or not he can raise this team's seemingly low ceiling at all remains to be seen.
In any case, the Kings will kick off their 2025 season on the road against the Phoenix Suns on October 22.
