Russell Westbrook Joins Kings on New Deal, Publicly Moves Past Lakers Stint

New Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook, 36, recently agreed to a one-year, $3.6 million free-agent deal, marking his latest chapter in a winding NBA career. During a preseason game, Westbrook notably refused to sign a fan's Los Angeles Lakers jersey, opting instead to autograph Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets jerseys, stating, "I don’t know about signing that jersey. I’ll sign something else for you, though." This gesture underscored his readiness to move past his turbulent Lakers tenure, which began in 2021 but quickly soured due to clashes with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and shooting inconsistencies. After being dealt to the Utah Jazz in February 2023 and subsequently waived, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. In summer 2024, he was traded to Utah again, waived, and then joined the Denver Nuggets, where he achieved historic milestones, becoming the first player to record 200 career triple-doubles and surpassing 26,000 career points. Westbrook now brings his experience and accomplishments to Sacramento.