"He Might Be Back": Ex-NBA Star Hints Russell Westbrook Has Unfinished Business, Names Surprise Team

Earlier this summer, Russell Westbrook caught everyone by surprise when he announced his retirement. After playing one season with the Sacramento Kings, he entered free agency. There was belief that Russ would reunite with his former teammate Kevin Durant with the Houston Rockets, but that did not happen. Over a month after his retirement, a former NBA star believes Westbrook might come back.

At 37, Westbrook is retired and has already been enjoying his post-NBA life. He was recently spotted hanging out with Chris Paul, shooting hoops on a boat. While Russ seems happy with his decision, two-time All-Star Zach Randolph isn't buying into the retirement narrative.

"I’d like to see him with the (Miami) Heat; that'll be a nice fit," said Randolph on the "Out the Mud" podcast on Saturday. "Brodie got a lot left in him. I just saw his little brother yesterday, Ray. I got a chance to highlight him, man. So he got a lot left. He might be back."

As of this writing, Westbrook hasn't expressed any interest in making an immediate NBA return. However, we can't blame Randolph for thinking that Russ could come back.

In his final season, Westbrook put up 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. While his numbers may no longer be up to par with what he used to produce in his OKC era, or even a couple of years after his OKC exit, they're still solid enough to keep up with today's standards.

Hypothetically, if the Miami Heat were to acquire Westbrook, as Randolph wants, he'd be a perfect fit. For one, despite already being 37, Russ is still an explosive player who can detonate on the rim anytime he pleases. His ability to slash through defenders perfectly synergizes with players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.

Westbrook is also a good ball handler and facilitator. Having him in the Heat would give them a point guard who could easily set up Giannis, Bam, Andrew Wiggins, and Klay Thompson. Miami would also end up with a better point guard compared to their current PG, Davion Mitchell, who only put up 9.3 points and 6.5 assists last season.

Unfortunately for basketball fans, there's nothing we can do about Westbrook's retirement.

Russell Westbrook's Former Lakers Teammate Wants to See Him Return

It appears that Zach Randolph isn't the only former NBA star who wants to see Russell Westbrook come out of retirement. In the same episode of Randolph's podcast, former Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley expressed his thoughts on Westbrook's abrupt retirement.

To Beverley, Westbrook still has what it takes to keep up with today's NBA. He was shocked to learn about his retirement and fully believes that Russ still has a lot of years left in him.

"This man is supposed to be in the league for another three, four years, at least," said Beverly. "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."

While it's heartwarming to know that former NBA stars are still rooting for Westbrook, the decision ultimately comes down to the 18-year veteran. But as he captioned his retirement video, "Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end."