Russell Westbrook is still without an NBA team after leaving the Denver Nuggets at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Westbrook was an important bench option for the Nuggets last season and even played solid minutes in the Western Conference playoffs.
17 years after he was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the point guard still wants to prolong his professional basketball career.
Former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Patrick Beverley has now weighed in on Westbrook’s ongoing situation.
Photo by Harry How/Getty ImagesPatrick Beverley cannot believe that Russell Westbrook is still a free agent
Beverley played with Westbrook on the LA Lakers in the 2022/23 season and recalls him being an excellent teammate despite the media narrative.
He also pointed out that Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon enjoyed sharing the locker room with him on the Nuggets last season.
Pat Bev believes it is “disrespectful” that the 2017 Most Valuable Player award-winner has not been signed by the Sacramento Kings or any other NBA team.
“I don’t know what’s taking so long,” he said. “I know they say the Kings love him, and they’re trying to trade Malik Monk, but I don’t know. It’s a little disrespectful that Russ hasn’t been signed yet, I’ll be honest.
“If you ask Jokic, they loved to play with him. If you asked Aaron Gordon, they loved to play with him.
“First, [they said] he was a cancer. He was never a cancer. I was with the Lakers like, ‘Russell Westbrook is a cancer? Hell no.’ He was stretching every day with the team. I was like, ‘Russ is elite.’
“It’s shocking to me that he hasn’t been picked up yet. He won Denver some games in the playoffs. They lost to the champs. I’m confused.”
Russell Westbrook should consider EuroLeague move
Westbrook is from California and so a move to the Sacramento Kings probably appeals to him, if they can make it work before the new season starts.
However, retirement is not the only alternative to an 18th year in the NBA. He could join a EuroLeague team instead.
Westbrook would be surrounded by former NBA players who are not quite good enough to be stars in the United States.
EuroLeague 2024/25 scoring leadersPlayerPoints Per GameEuroLeague TeamFormer NBA TeamsCarsen Edwards20.4Bayern MunichBoston Celtics, Detroit PistonsKendrick Nunn20.0PanathinaikosMiami Heat, LA Lakers, Washington WizardsSasha Vezenkov19.8OlympiacosSacramento KingsTJ Shorts19.0Paris BasketballN/ANikola Mirotic17.7Olimpia MilanoChicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks
Carsen Edwards and Kendrick Nunn are two prime examples of ex-NBA role players who dominated in the 2024/25 EuroLeague season.
Westbrook could potentially put up similar stat lines to his OKC Thunder days in Europe, while earning good money and thousands of new fans.