According to a recent report by ESPN's Tim McMahon, Russell Westbrook is not expected to return to the Denver Nuggets. Multiple sources indicate that his most likely destination is the Sacramento Kings.

Rumors of Westbrook joining the Kings have intensified since he was spotted with DeMar DeRozan earlier this month. The Kings are still searching for a veteran guard capable of handling the ball and playing the game, and see Westbrook as a short-term solution. Westbrook has also expressed strong interest in joining the Kings, primarily due to Sacramento's proximity to his hometown.

Westbrook, 36, played for the Oklahoma City Thunder for 11 years before moving on to the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. He has been selected to the All-Star team nine times, has twice been crowned the scoring champion (2015 and 2017), and was named the 2017 regular season MVP. He is considered one of the NBA's legendary point guards.

Last season, Westbrook played 75 regular season games for the Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game, helping the team finish fourth in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record. In the playoffs, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, but the Nuggets were eventually eliminated by the Thunder 3-4 in the Western Conference semifinals.

After entering the offseason, Westbrook declined to exercise his $3.5 million player option for the 2025-26 season. He officially became a free agent on June 30 and began looking for a new team.

McMahon pointed out that if the trade is finally completed, Westbrook is expected to continue to serve as a substitute for the Kings, sharing the ball-handling and organizational tasks with the newly joined Dennis Schroder.