Russell Westbrook's 18th season, arriving late but finally here

Westbrook has finally found a new home and is set to start his 18th season. As widely predicted, he agreed to a minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings, the only team consistently connected to him.

Recently, rumors about Westbrook’s destination have become increasingly bizarre, with one reporter even claiming he signed a multi-million dollar deal in the CBA. That reporter clearly doesn’t know the CBA also has salary caps, making such a figure unrealistic.

Among Westbrook’s options, staying in the NBA was always the only choice. There was never any reason for him to leave the U.S. to play. At this stage in his life, financially free, he plays purely for passion. He even prefers to stay in California, which is why he always saw the Kings as his next team.

The previous trade talks between the Warriors and Kings fell through, and I once thought Westbrook and the Kings couldn’t reach an agreement. After all, with Monk still on the bench, Westbrook would have limited playing time and ball control even as a reserve. But when Keegan Murray tore a finger ligament and was sidelined for 4-6 weeks, it opened the door for the Kings to sign Westbrook.

Honestly, the Kings aren’t the perfect fit for Westbrook, but at this point, just being able to continue playing in the league is a blessing. With the Kings, you never quite know what their management is thinking.

This team once had the backcourt duo of Fox and Haliburton. At that time, Haliburton was already showing star potential; otherwise, they wouldn’t have traded for the All-Star big man, Sabonis. But considering fit with Fox, the Kings ultimately let Haliburton go, and we all know what happened afterward.

What’s even harder to understand is that last season the Kings traded Fox and brought in LaVine, making the roster even more problematic. The LaVine-DeRozan pairing already failed in Chicago, yet the Kings are trying it again on their own team.

Currently, the Kings’ core remains Sabonis, last season’s rebounding leader, who also has solid playmaking skills, arguably the best big man in the West after Jokic. However, his defense has always been criticized. In fact, Sabonis, LaVine, and DeRozan are all offensively strong but defensively weak, making the team’s balance uneven.

During the offseason, the Kings signed Schröder, who continued to shine in the EuroBasket but often underperforms in the NBA. Regardless, adding Schröder gave the Kings a legitimate point guard, so LaVine and Monk no longer need to handle primary ball duties.

In the preseason, the Kings’ starting lineup was Schröder, LaVine, DeRozan, Murray, and Sabonis. Now with Murray out for over a month, the Kings have to promote someone from the bench—either Monk or Keon Ellis—while shifting DeRozan to the four spot, which explains the rationale behind signing Westbrook.

This means the Kings’ bench will consist of Westbrook, Monk or Keon Ellis, Nico Claxton, Devin Carter, and Eubanks (who got dominated by young Yang). At first glance, it’s passable but the frontcourt is a bit weak and the backcourt somewhat crowded.

Westbrook still has his strength, even though he will turn 37 in just over a month. He remains the same Westbrook. Last season with the Nuggets, he performed quite well, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in the regular season.

In the first round against the Clippers, Westbrook averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shooting an impressive 41.9% from three. Without his excellent shooting in that series, the Nuggets likely wouldn’t have beaten the Clippers. However, in the second round versus the Thunder, his 21.9% three-point shooting contributed to the Nuggets’ loss. Westbrook’s inconsistency can be that stark.

No matter what, it’s always good news when Westbrook finds a team. After so many years in the league, whether you love or hate him, you have to respect what he has accomplished and appreciate the wonderful moments he brought to fans.

The 18th season is on its way, and Westbrook will start this new chapter with his signature smile. We can’t say if this will be his final season, but all we can do is cherish every moment.