The Washington Wizards had a chance to bring in Russell Westbrook, but the veteran guard walked away from the conversation and chose retirement instead.
Marc Stein reported that Washington did, in fact, put a two-year deal on the table for Westbrook. The exact numbers were not revealed, though the contract would likely have landed in the $6 million-a-year range.
The sticking point was the role. According to Stein, Westbrook ended the talks himself, not his agent.
That part matters, because the fit in Washington would have been pretty clear. On this roster, Westbrook would have been looking at a mentor job more than a nightly workload. Getting meaningful minutes would have been tough, and his value would have come from helping young players, including Bub Carrington, grow as finishers.
Losing out on Westbrook is a setback, but not a fatal one. The Wizards still have options in free agency, and Stein’s reporting pointed toward a familiar name at the top of the list: DeMar DeRozan.
A DeRozan move would not be the most obvious basketball fit, but there are reasons Washington could go that direction. Cleveland and Miami are the other Eastern Conference teams in the mix, and the Wizards could benefit in more ways than one by stepping in. Adding him would also keep the Cavaliers and Heat from improving their depth, which matters given how thin both benches are right now.
There is also the trade angle. Washington could view DeRozan as a buy-low addition now, then flip him later in the season for draft capital from a contender or a team that believes it can make a run. The Wizards are still aiming at a playoff spot, but that goal does not rest on DeRozan alone, so moving him later would not change the larger picture.
At this stage, any remaining free-agent addition appears to be about more than what happens on the floor. The rotation looks set, which means the next signing is likely to be about leadership, presence, and helping in the locker room.
In Other News...
Russell Westbrook And The Wizards Had Talks That Ended For A Reason
Russell Westbrooks name surfaced in Washington again this summer, only this time in a much different context than the one fans remember from his one-season run with the club. After announcing his retirement following an 18-season NBA career that included an MVP award, nine All-Star selections and the leagues triple-double record, Westbrook reportedly drew contract interest from both the Wizards and the Kings.
The part worth watching for Washington is that the talks did not simply drift away on their own. Westbrook stepped back from the Wizards offer after being unhappy with the terms or the role attached to it, a reminder that even late in a career, fit still matters as much as familiarity. Sacramento was also in the mix, but he was not interested in taking on a reduced role there either, which helps explain why a reunion in Washington never got very far. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Just Got A Schedule Break They Desperately Needed
The NBAs release of the 2026-27 schedule brought a small but meaningful bit of relief for Washington, which will face only 13 back-to-back sets, tied for the fewest in the league. For a team that has spent too much recent time managing injuries and uneven availability, fewer quick turnarounds should help the Wizards keep bodies fresher and make it easier to navigate the grind of a long season.
There is more to like beyond the calendar math. Washington is slated to travel 35,748 miles, which ranks 26th in the league, so the mileage burden is lighter than it could have been, and the early part of the schedule lines up with opponents that have had less postseason success. If the Wizards are going to build momentum and avoid another slow start, this is the kind of opening stretch that can help them settle in before the schedule tightens up. [Read more 🡒]