Russell Westbrook’s next stop may not be Sacramento, but the Kings still have a path to bring him back if the market breaks the right way.
The 37-year-old guard is still on the board in unrestricted free agency after spending his debut season with the Kings, and that alone has changed the conversation. Sacramento was the only team willing to take a shot on him last year, but this summer could be different. According to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the Miami Heat are expected to go after Westbrook if they miss out on LeBron James.
"According to a league source, Russell Westbrook is a candidate to join the Heat but not if LeBron signs in Miami," Bondy reported.
That wrinkle matters for the Kings, because it could determine whether Westbrook has another real landing spot or whether Sacramento becomes the fallback again. If Miami goes another direction, a return to the Kings is still in play, even if it looks less likely than it did before.
Kings general manager Scott Perry has made no secret of how much he values Westbrook. In his latest comments, though, he also made it clear the money is tight.
"Russ has always been a favorite of mine. Russell Westbrook outplayed a minimum contract last season, which is all that we have right now," Perry said (via Sactown 1140's Brenden Nunes). "So, that’s all I have really to say about him right now."
Westbrook’s numbers back up Perry’s point. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game last season, production that went well beyond what a minimum deal usually buys. Even so, at 37, it is difficult to picture him landing much more than another veteran minimum this offseason.
If the Heat don’t come through, Sacramento could still be sitting there as the most realistic option. And there’s a clear basketball reason the Kings would want that to happen. Their younger players had nothing but praise for the way Westbrook helped them last season, especially the rookie trio of Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell.
That leadership could matter even more now that the Kings have their new star point guard in Darius Acuff Jr. They also added Alex Karaban and Emanuel Sharp, and as Sacramento moves into a new era built around that young core, a veteran like Westbrook would give them a steady presence in the room.
So while Miami may be the more intriguing name in the mix, Sacramento still has a real opening if Westbrook is willing to come back cheap. If the Heat route falls apart, a reunion with the Kings would be hard to rule out.
In Other News...
John Wall Just Sent Kings Fans A Big Darius Acuff Message
Darius Acuff Jr. has already drawn some real attention in Sacramento, and it is easy to see why the Kings are intrigued. The former Calipari guard arrived with a reputation as a promising young scorer, and he fits neatly into the kind of long-view talent evaluation teams lean on during Summer League, especially when a players ceiling seems to matter as much as the early returns.
John Wall only added to that buzz with the kind of endorsement that tends to travel fast around the league. A fellow Calipari alumnus and former NBA All-Star, Wall put Acuff in rare company as a scorer, which is the sort of praise that can stick with a young guard even as he continues to find his footing in Las Vegas. For Kings fans, it is another reminder that Acuffs name is already starting to come up in bigger conversations, even if the on-court production has not fully caught up yet. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Loss May Have Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Expected
The Kings perfect Summer League run ended in a 104-85 loss to Washington, and the scoreline came with a reminder that summer success can be fragile once the competition tightens. Maxime Raynaud still gave Sacramento plenty to like in his debut, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while the team also got a look at a two-big setup by starting Raynaud alongside Dylan Cardwell.
What stood out just as much was how quickly the game tilted away from Sacramento once Washington found rhythm and pressure. Darius Acuff Jr. had a rough shooting night, and the Kings never really solved the defensive issues that let the Wizards keep control, leaving this loss to feel less like a blip and more like a useful warning sign for what still needs cleaning up. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Gave An Undrafted Rookie A Real Chance To Impress
Elias Ralph has already taken a meaningful step toward a pro basketball future, landing a spot on the Kings Summer League roster after going through a workout with the team about a month earlier. The former Pacific forward, who went undrafted, said he is grateful for the chance and is treating the summer as a chance to learn, improve and show he belongs in a professional setting.
Ralph has not yet appeared in a Summer League game, and he was out during the California Classic, but the opportunity alone gives him a platform to keep building. For a player trying to turn a strong college run into a real career, the next stretch is about staying ready, absorbing everything he can and hoping the work eventually opens a door to a G League role and, down the line, an NBA roster spot. [Read more 🡒]