Patrick Beverley is back in the middle of the Russell Westbrook conversation, and this time he’s making the case for a comeback.
The former Rockets guard, who once had a long-running feud with Westbrook before the two became Lakers teammates in 2022, said on a recent episode of the Out The Mud Podcast that the 37-year-old still belongs in the NBA. Beverley didn’t leave much room for doubt about how he sees Westbrook’s game.
“This man is supposed to be in the league for another three, four years at least. He is a small version of LeBron James minus the championships, but when you talk about a pedigree of basketball players, that man is tough… I just feel like he has a lot of years left.”
That praise lands at a strange moment in Westbrook’s career. He is retired now, but last season he still put up 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists across 64 games for the Sacramento Kings on a one-year, veteran-minimum deal.
Westbrook’s exit from the league came after he reportedly drew offers from both Sacramento and the Washington Wizards. The Kings were prepared to use him in a smaller role, while the Wizards were chasing their first playoff berth since 2021. Even so, he ultimately walked away from the NBA, and the reporting suggests he may have preferred to do it on his own terms rather than settle for a situation that didn’t match what he wanted.
If a return ever does happen, fit will matter. A reunion with the Rockets looks complicated, simply because Houston already has a crowded backcourt picture. Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Marcus Smart, Reed Sheppard, and Bruce Thornton are all in the mix for minutes, which makes Westbrook a possible addition but not necessarily the cleanest one.
Miami, on the other hand, gets mentioned as a more natural landing spot. The Heat are viewed as an Eastern Conference title contender, and Davion Mitchell’s spot in the projected starting lineup is not exactly locked down by production alone. Mitchell averaged 9.3 points per game last season, and Miami could use what Westbrook still brings if the door ever opens.
For now, there’s no sign that Westbrook is trying to come back. Still, the options are there if he changes his mind, and Beverley clearly thinks there’s more left in the tank for the 2017 MVP. His offense, flexibility, and leadership were all valuable in the seasons leading up to retirement, and that’s why the conversation around a possible NBA return isn’t going away anytime soon.
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