With no team picking up Russell Westbrook and opening night inching closer, “7PM in Brooklyn” co-host Kazeem Famuyide suggested that Russ might as well return to the Oklahoma City Thunder and try to win a championship there.
However, Kaz’s proposal was immediately rejected by Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, who argued that the defending champions don’t need a player like Westbrook. Because of that, even if the Thunder signs him, he will likely end up sitting on the bench, which would be a disservice to Russ’ greatness.
“No, he can’t help them,” Anthony said. “They the champs. You cannot bring Russell Westbrook back to OKC and don’t play him. He cannot go from the greatest player in your franchise history to maybe playing or maybe not playing. It doesn’t work. You diminish that man’s legacy by that. Let’s protect the legacies of these players, not somebody who’s been in the league five years, six years, who went…No. This is somebody who’s put in the pain, pressure, number one jersey sales, MVP of the league.”
The greatest player in OKC Thunder history
At No.4 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Westbrook was the first-ever draft pick in the franchise’s Oklahoma City era. He paired with Kevin Durant and James Harden to lead a young Thunder team to the 2012 NBA Finals, where they lost to the “Big 3” Miami Heat.
After Harden and Durant left, it was Westbrook who was left to carry the OKC flag. He won the 2017 NBA MVP award and had three seasons where he averaged a triple-double. Russ’ tenure with the Thunder ended in 2019 when he was traded to the Houston Rockets. However, he left as arguably the greatest player in Oklahoma City history.
“You can’t send the greatest player back,” added Melo. “He left and then come back, and he’s not playing? No. As a player, I know I still can play. Hell, no. Dame went back to Portland because Dame is going to come back healthy and play. CP went back to the Clippers because CP is gonna play. He ain’t going back to sit on the bench. He ain’t going back just to do my victory lap.”
A celebratory farewell season would be acceptable
Last season, Westbrook played for the Denver Nuggets, where he averaged an impressive 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. However, Russ declined his $3.4 million player option with the team and hit the free agent market this summer. However, with the 2025-26 NBA season just over a week away, no team has picked him up.
Melo then mellowed down and laid out a scenario that he said would be acceptable if Russ is going back to the Thunder.
“If he’s ready to say, ‘Yo Sam Presti, I wanna retire here. This is my last year. Let’s do something for this year. Let’s hang the jersey up. Let’s build that up. I’m cool with that. Let’s celebrate. Let’s make this celebratory for Russ, going back to OKC. If he’s going back just to chill, nah son,” Anthony concluded.
It remains to be seen, though, if the Thunder have any interest in giving Westbrook a farewell season. It’s also uncertain if he wants to retire already. There’s also a report that a Chinese team is offering Russ quadruple what the Kings would be able to show him.
However, it’s also unclear whether Russell is open to playing outside the United States. What’s clear is that at 36, Westbrook can still play, and as Anthony said, he could help a lot of teams right now. But the thing is, none of them seems to be interested.