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The first round of the 2025 NBA Draft is in the books, and while there ultimately weren't a ton of trades made across the league, there are still quite a few rumors floating around. One team that could be quite busy over the next week or so is the Sacramento Kings, and it sounds like Russell Westbrook is emerging as a potential target for them ahead of free agency.
Despite having a solid collection of talent at their disposal, the Kings have not been able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together in recent seasons. Earlier this offseason, the team reportedly considered making a push to acquire Trae Young in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks, but they ultimately passed on that opportunity for a handful of reasons.
“There was a push among some power-brokers for Sacramento to go after Atlanta’s Trae Young, but league sources say the Kings didn’t have interest because of his style of play (offense-first) and cost (he’s extension-eligible this summer but is slated to earn $45.9 million next season and has a player option worth $48.9 million in 2026-27),” Sam Amick of The Athletic reported.
Kings targeting Russell Westbrook in free agency
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With the Hawks picking up Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets, it looks like Young is staying put anyways, although the Kings don't seem too upset about that. Instead, they have turned their attention to free agency. After it was revealed they had interest in Dennis Schroder earlier this week, Westbrook and Tyus Jones have also emerged as targets for Sacramento at the point guard position.
“League and team sources say the Kings indeed have serious interest in veteran Dennis Schröder. That is, of course, if he doesn’t get something done with the Detroit Pistons first (league sources say he’s been in talks on that front this week). Fellow free agents Tyus Jones and Russell Westbrook are also known to be options that the Kings are considering,” Amick wrote.
Westbrook isn't the same MVP-caliber player he once was, but he still averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Denver Nuggets last season. After declining his $3.4 million player option, he could capitalize on hitting the open market, with teams like the Kings looking for someone who can conduct their offense. Schroder appears to be Sacramento's primary target, but if they miss out on him, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Westbrook land with the Kings in free agency.
