{"id":259011,"date":"2025-08-30T19:44:48","date_gmt":"2025-08-30T19:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/259011\/"},"modified":"2025-08-30T19:44:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-30T19:44:48","slug":"nba-team-bracing-for-trade-after-russell-westbrook-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/259011\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA Team Bracing for Trade After Russell Westbrook Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As August winds down, NBA star Russell Westbrook remains a free agent after declining his $3.47 million player option with the Denver Nuggets earlier this summer. The 17-year veteran is coming off a productive 2024\u201325 season where he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals across 75 games.<\/p>\n<p>While his numbers may not reflect his MVP prime, Westbrook played a key bench role and helped the Nuggets advance to the second round of the playoffs. Given that impact, many expected his free agency market to include several suitors, but he has yet to sign. One team that continues to be linked to him is the Sacramento Kings (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/45927318\/nba-free-agents-2025-jonathan-kuminga-russell-westbrook-josh-giddey\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:h\/t Tim MacMahon of ESPN;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">h\/t Tim MacMahon of ESPN<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4)\u00a9 Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"standard-img\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/541b87b1041dc08dbda7389b3a7c268b.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4)\u00a9 Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p>Kings Still in the Hunt for Russell Westbrook, Preparing for Trade<\/p>\n<p>Following the initial reports of Sacramento&#8217;s interest in Westbrook, <a href=\"https:\/\/marcstein.substack.com\/p\/jake-fischer-latest-nba-moves-are?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_campaign=posts-open-in-app&amp;token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjozMzUyMDUyODgsInBvc3RfaWQiOjE3MjE0NDc4MiwiaWF0IjoxNzU2Mzk3MTQ0LCJleHAiOjE3NTg5ODkxNDQsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0zOTIyMDUiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.ANubM-_CQ21hjf9RePpekVdyhUbdXpNwCepMh4-VXQ4&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;r=5jkm20&amp;triedRedirect=true\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Jake Fischer of the Stein Line;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Jake Fischer of the Stein Line<\/a> added more intel on Thursday. Per Fischer, Sacramento has serious interest in bringing in Westbrook to pair with Dennis Schr\u00f6der to form its backcourt, though a trade may be required before any deal is finalized.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSources say that Sacramento continues to covet Westbrook to join Dennis Schr\u00f6der as a marquee newcomer to Sacramento&#8217;s backcourt, but a trade of some sort to ease the Kings&#8217; backcourt logjam could well be needed first,&#8221; he wrote.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Fischer added, \u201cThere are some around the league who see Devin Carter as the incumbent King more likely to be moved to help facilitate a Westbrook signing rather than Monk.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Should the Kings finalize a move, Westbrook could fill an experience void in the backcourt. Sacramento has lacked a true veteran star guard since De\u2019Aaron Fox\u2019s departure, and adding a proven winner like Westbrook would give them toughness, playmaking, and invaluable postseason experience. His relentless approach could complement their younger core while providing the franchise with an edge as it pushes toward playoff contention.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Russell Westbrook Approaching 18th NBA Season<\/p>\n<p>If a deal pull through, the Kings would become the seventh NBA team of Westbrook\u2019s career, following stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Nuggets. It will also set him up for an 18th NBA season, making him one of the longest tenured veterans of his generation.<\/p>\n<p>A nine-time All-Star, 2017 MVP, two-time scoring champion, and the NBA\u2019s all-time leader in triple-doubles, Westbrook has defined consistency and durability throughout his career. Despite those accolades, the one achievement that has eluded him remains an NBA championship.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Westbrook has come close, most notably with the Thunder\u2019s 2012 Finals run, but capturing a ring is still the missing piece of his legacy. As free agency continues, the 36-year-old is seeking the right fit, one that will allow him to keep contributing at a high level while also giving him another opportunity to chase the ultimate goal that has fueled him for nearly two decades.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/article\/russell-westbrook-facing-nba-retirement-012425486.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Related: Russell Westbrook Facing NBA Retirement Decision After News on Wednesday;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Related: Russell Westbrook Facing NBA Retirement Decision After News on Wednesday<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/article\/nuggets-russell-westbrook-post-kings-200948005.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Related: Nuggets Make Russell Westbrook Post After Kings Report;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Related: Nuggets Make Russell Westbrook Post After Kings Report<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This story was originally reported by <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/nba\/sacramento-kings\/nba-team-bracing-for-trade-after-russell-westbrook-report\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Athlon Sports;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Athlon Sports<\/a> on Aug 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/athlonsports.com\/nba\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:NBA;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">NBA<\/a> section. Add Athlon Sports as a <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=athlonsports.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Preferred Source by clicking here.;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Preferred Source by clicking here.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As August winds down, NBA star Russell Westbrook remains a free agent after declining his $3.47 million player&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":257945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3783],"tags":[7,1314,1024,187,3208,194,3553,135,150,1267,6,310,475,179,3966,3965,254,477,312,468],"class_list":{"0":"post-259011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-oklahoma-city-thunder","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-deaaron-fox","10":"tag-dennis-schroder","11":"tag-denver-nuggets","12":"tag-devin-carter","13":"tag-houston-rockets","14":"tag-jake-fischer","15":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","16":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","17":"tag-malik-monk","18":"tag-nba","19":"tag-oklahoma","20":"tag-oklahoma-city","21":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","22":"tag-oklahomacity","23":"tag-oklahomacitythunder","24":"tag-russell-westbrook","25":"tag-sacramento-kings","26":"tag-thunder","27":"tag-washington-wizards"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115119438182832584","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/257945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}