“Wouldn’t Touch Him in a Million Years”: Russell Westbrook’s Future in Jeopardy After NBA Executive’s Statement

Once upon a time, Russell Westbrook was on top of the NBA world. In 2012, a young Westbrook helped Kevin Durant and James Harden lead the OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals. Then, in 2017, Russell solidified himself as the best player in the league after winning the NBA MVP.

However, since getting traded from OKC in 2019, Russell's career has slowly started to decline. Fast forward to the present day, it seems the decline has reached a new all-time low as an NBA scout predicts that Westbrook won't play for a team in the league next season.

"I wouldn't touch him in a million years," an anonymous NBA scout told league insider Ira Winderman. "You can't rely on him in terms of what's going to happen. Yeah, he'll have, you know, great games. Sure. But he can't shoot. He plays his own way. He's not going to fit into a system. He doesn't really defend."

Based on Kalshi's predictions, there's a 42% chance that Westbrook could either remain a free agent or retire this coming season. Russell previously played for the Sacramento Kings, completing 64 games. However, his contract was only good for one year, and the Kings didn't re-sign him.

According to other sources, most NBA teams have shown very little interest in Russ. This comes as a shock considering what he can still bring to the table. Last season, Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals, while playing for a cheap $3.6 million contract. That should be plenty of reason to entice teams to acquire him, especially since he can still provide valuable numbers for a low salary.

However, there's also age to consider. This coming November 12, Westbrook will be turning 38 years old. He isn't necessarily the young player he once was, which makes teams more hesitant to sign him.

Rockets Emerge as the Only Team to Express Interest in Russell Westbrook

Despite the narrative of NBA teams not wanting to sign Russell Westbrook during free agency, the Houston Rockets expressed interest in the once-upon-a-time explosive guard in late July.

According to reports, the Rockets are currently looking for a backup point guard for Fred VanVleet. Last season, VanVleet was sidelined for the entire campaign due to a torn ACL in his right knee. While he is expected to make his return this coming 2026-27 season, it might not be a good idea to put a lot of stress on a recently recovered player.

Bringing in Westbrook could solve that issue. Russell is already used to playing off the bench, which shouldn't be a problem for him at this point in his career. Then there's also the concern of leadership on the team. Westbrook is a veteran who could help provide added wisdom for the team.

There's also the potential reunion of Kevin Durant and Westbrook. The last time the two stars played together was in 2016, when they both suited up for the OKC Thunder. They have a lot of history together, even making one Finals trip as a duo. Pairing the former Thunder duo could prove to be beneficial for the young Rockets team.