Los Angeles Lakers fans are enjoying watching Russell Westbrook remain unsigned in free agency and seeing his chances of joining a contender dwindle by the day. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer is no longer the superstar fans remember. His disastrous stint with the Lakers was the start of his decline. Westbrook puts up strong counting stats, but struggled to impact winning. It is why the Kings are his only rumored suitor at this stage.
Some teams have already filled their rosters or exhausted their cap space. The options are limited and will continue to shrink. The veteran guard is a bench player and an ancillary option, but he still loves to get buckets whenever he is on the floor. Contending teams are not in the market for a reserve scorer.
Westbrook has played for three different teams in the last three seasons and five since leaving Oklahoma City in 2019. The defending champions are not bringing him back for a reunion. Westbrook does not fit on a Kings roster already light on shooting, which leaves him as a free agent without a team.
Russell Westbrook is struggling to find a fit in free agency
The Lakers traded multiple role players from their 2020 title roster to land Westbrook in 2021 and had to give up assets at the 2023 trade deadline to dump the nine-time All-Star. LA missed the playoffs in his lone full season with the team and made the conference finals just months after sending the 6’4 guard packing. His stint was a nightmare as Westbrook never fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Westbrook helped the Clippers reach the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, but they were bounced in the first round twice.
He joined the Nuggets in the 2024 offseason and helped them reach the second round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual champion Thunder. Westbrook’s minutes and efficiency tumbled in the postseason. The veteran has some incredible highs and some nightmare-inducing lows at this stage of his career. It is no wonder contenders are scared to add him to their roster.
The Lakers just signed Marcus Smart and have absolutely zero interest in bringing back Westbrook. Purple and gold fans have enjoyed his lowlights with the Clippers and Nuggets. They should not be surprised he remains a free agent. Westbrook doesn’t help his team win in the playoffs, despite wanting to sign with a contender.
The former MVP may be on his way out of the league. The calendar is approaching August, and Russell Westbrook hasn't found a team. The Los Angeles Lakers can’t add another player because of cap constraints. They are not the only ones. The opportunities are drying up, and Russ may be the odd man out this summer.
The Lakers are building around Luka Doncic. They have plenty of ball-handling, and the last thing they need is someone who struggles on defense and fails to space the floor. Westbrook may sign with the Kings or could wait for an injury to create an opportunity elsewhere. The only other option is retirement. Lakers fans will be hate-watching to see how all this plays out.