Russell Westbrook’s time in Sacramento was brief–but impactful

Russell Westbrook is retiring from the NBA, but his one-year stop in Sacramento could mean more down the line

I was in high school when Russell Westbrook burst onto the NBA scene.

During a time when Chris Paul, Steve Nash, and Derrick Rose were viewed as the class of the point guard position, Westbrook brought a different type of flair and explosiveness that drew in countless basketball fans for years–nearly decades–to come.

Westbrook’s performances during the 2010’s became must-see. Some kids ask for a car for their 16th birthday. I asked my parents for an NBA League Pass subscription, almost solely to watch Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden form one of the best homegrown trios in recent memory.

One of the things that makes sports what they are, what makes them great, is passion. There are countless legends across all sports who are remembered not just for being great, but for the effort and emotion they displayed between the lines. In a sense, it’s what made them great in the first place: how much they care.

Russell Westbrook was a fantastic player for nearly two decades, and even when he made mistakes, you knew those errors wouldn’t define him or deter him from trying the same thing all over again.

That’s what made him an All-Star. That’s what made him an MVP. That’s what made him one of the best guards the game of basketball has ever seen.

His triple-double records–not one, not two, but three straight seasons averaging a triple-double–were beyond absurd.

He made it look easy. He made it look fun. But as we all know, nothing comes easy at the NBA level. You had to remind yourself of what you were seeing every night. “This is not normal,” I would tell myself as a 6’4 guard posted 30 points, 20 rebounds, and 15 assists in a single game.

More on Russell Westbrook

Fast forward to fall 2025, and Westbrook’s basketball journey appeared to be at its end.

On the heels of a stretch that saw him suit up for six teams over eight seasons, the nine-time All-Star’s options were limited. A return to Denver, where he helped the Nuggets advance into the second round of the NBA Playoffs, was not on the table.

The Los Angeles native, already having played for the Lakers and Clippers, didn’t have pathways to return home, either.

Westbrook, who has been close to fellow Southern California local DeMar DeRozan and Sacramento general manager Scott Perry, inked a deal to sign with the rebuilding Kings just days before the start of the 2025-26 season.

It was somewhat of a shock to witness Westbrook sign with Sacramento. The fit just didn’t make sense.

Fresh off trading away former franchise centerpiece De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a blockbuster trade deadline deal, the Kings had no identity for the first time in nearly a decade. No face of the franchise. No real direction. So, why add someone of Russell Westbrook’s caliber to a roster that featured so many unknowns?

Although Perry and his front office signed veteran guard Dennis Schroder to a three-year, $45 million pact just weeks prior, Westbrook–donning a number 18 jersey that paid homage to his 18th NBA season–was slotted into head coach Doug Christie’s opening night rotation as a backup point guard.

It took just two weeks for Westbrook to take over as the starting floor general.

Westbrook averaged 14.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from downtown over the first 11 games of the season, forcing Christie’s hand to make the switch, one that also benefited Schroder, who elevated his numbers and value as a reserve guard, leading to a mid-season trade to the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers.

We all know how the 2025-26 season unfolded for the Kings. To put it bluntly, as someone who has watched a lot of Sacramento Kings basketball over the years, it’s hard to remember a rougher viewing experience than what we witnessed last season.

Little of that had to do with Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 64 games for Sacramento in 2025-26. His 15.2 points per game were his highest scoring average since 2022-23, while his 6.7 assists per game were also his highest mark since that season. His 34 percent clip from three was his best since 2016-17.

More times than not, Westbrook was the lone bright spot for the Kings as they dealt with a series of injuries to key players such as Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Zach LaVine, and De’Andre Hunter.

In fact, Westbrook never got to play a game with all of those players being active at the same time.

Of course, there were criticisms of Westbrook’s role in Sacramento. Why is a team with no clear answer at point guard giving 30-plus minutes per game to a past-his-prime former MVP?

If recently-drafted seventh-overall pick Darius Acuff Jr. was on the roster, maybe it would be a different conversation, but that wasn’t how things looked for the Kings’ backcourt last year. Westbrook beat out another veteran, Schroder, and the only other guards on the roster–LaVine, Malik Monk, Devin Carter, and Daeqwon Plowden–play off ball.

Sacramento didn’t have any young point guards for Westbrook to take under his wing, to show the ropes to. No face of the franchise to show the way, help learn the game at the NBA level.

And still, Westbrook found ways to make an impact on the next generation of Kings.

Maxime Raynaud was drafted with the 42nd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Although the seven-foot center was projected as a late first-round pick in most mock drafts, he fell to Sacramento–partly by design–and was in line to be the Kings’ third-string center on opening night behind Domantas Sabonis and Drew Eubanks.

Sabonis quickly ran into injury issues, opening the door for Raynaud to play some backup center minutes. Shortly after losing Sabonis, Eubanks was also bitten by the injury bug.

Just like that, Raynaud–a rookie out of Stanford in his first NBA season–was a starting center, with Russell Westbrook as his point guard.

During his time in the league, Westbrook had no trouble setting up his teammates. He has over 10,000 assists that tell you all you need to know about his facilitating skills.

Westbrook quickly developed a rapport with Raynaud, operating well out of pick-and-roll sets that resulted in the French big man scoring at the rim. Playing alongside the star guard elevated the rookie’s game, and one silver lining in Westbrook led to another in Raynaud.

During March–Westbrook’s final month of his career–the two-man game between these two reached its peak, resulting in Raynaud posting averages of 17.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 60 percent from the field and 44 percent from deep (15 games).

Raynaud was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for March, becoming the only rookie in either conference drafted outside of the top-five in the 2025 NBA Draft to win a Rookie of the Month award all season.

Playing with Westbrook made an impact on Raynaud, something the 23-year-old spoke about shortly after winning his Rookie of the Month award.

“I mean, first of all, he’s a legend of the game, so everything he tells us basketball-wise is golden hints here and there,” Raynaud said of Westbrook in March.

“Besides that, he’s just a really joyful, driven individual that just brings that energy, this laughter in the locker room, while still being, you know, a high-level professional and setting the tone for us rookies, but really for the whole team. He’s been really a plus for us this entire year.”

Raynaud and fellow rookies Nique Clifford and Dylan Cardwell spent plenty of time around Westbrook during the 2025-26 season, and all three of those rookies–all of which will factor into Sacramento’s rotation in 2026-27–grew professionally with the future Hall of Famer on the roster.

“208, triple-doubles, most in NBA history. You don’t, you don’t just do that with pure talent,” Raynaud said earlier this summer. “He’s an amazing worker, great human being. I just, you know, have nothing but positive things to say about him. I strongly believe that Russ gave me the confidence and mentorship I needed to really play at my full potential.”

Russell Westbrook says he’s supportive of rookie center Dylan Cardwell’s energy that he brings on the floor:

“I told him it’s important to stay true to who you are. I’m loving how he’s impacting the game in a variety of ways. It’s good for our team.”pic.twitter.com/0kdAE1zuok

— Frankie Cartoscelli (@FCartoscelli3) January 17, 2026

Cardwell’s energy was infectious at Golden 1 Center this season. The undrafted center quickly became a fan-favorite due to his post-basket or post-block celebrations, and Westbrook fully encouraged him to be himself, regardless of what others think.

“It’s important to stay true to who you are,” Westbrook said of Cardwell’s celebrations in January. “I’m loving how he’s impacting the game in a variety of ways. It’s good for our team.”

After Westbrook climbed the NBA leaderboards earlier this season by becoming the best-rebounding guard in league history, Clifford also gushed over playing with the former MVP winner.

“It really doesn’t even feel real. It’s special to be a part of that. Like, we are really a part of history. He’s making his legacy, displaying his greatness on a night-to-night basis, breaking records,” Clifford said in January. “So for us to be a part of that, I mean, we can’t take that for granted. It’s pretty special to be around dudes, Hall of Fame level dudes like him. So it’s just really special to watch and be able to play with a guy like that.”

It’s unknown if Raynaud, Clifford, and Cardwell will be focal points of the Sacramento Kings for years to come. But they were better players because of Russell Westbrook during their rookie seasons. They would tell you that themselves.

For incoming rookies like Darius Acuff Jr., who has franchise-centerpiece aspirations, learning from a player of Westbrook’s caliber would have been beneficial, but having those who have already been taken under his wing on the roster is the next best thing.

A nightmare season that saw the Kings finish 22-60 couldn’t have ended soon enough, but I’m already reflecting on the aspect that we witnessed one of the greatest guards to ever lace up on an NBA floor play his final days in Sacramento.

He might not be a franchise great, but that’s still pretty special from an outside perspective. Maybe it will mean more down the line, when better days arrive for the Kings, and the sour taste of the abrupt end to the Fox-Mike Brown-led Beam Team-era dissipates.

Russell Westbrook’s reputation as a teammate has been spoken about for years, but one thing is clear about his time in Sacramento: He made an impact. His teammates adored him. His time with the Kings was brief, but the franchise will hope his guidance for last season’s rookies carries over into a new era of basketball that the organization, players, and fans can be proud of.

Raynaud has aspirations of becoming a starting center in the NBA. Clifford has the makings of a Swiss Army knife capable of playing multiple positions. Cardwell is already the best shot-blocker Sacramento has rostered in more than a decade. All three will always be able to look back on their rookie seasons and say they learned from one of the greatest guards in NBA history.

That counts for something. And someday, it could mean much more.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

• Breaking: Russell Westbrook Retires After 18 Seasons
• Carmichael Dave: The Kings should sign Ben Simmons
• Why Domantas Sabonis could be key to Kings’ new identity
• Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale names Kings’ best trade partners for Zach LaVine
• Why Doug Christie deserves another full season with the Kings

What is the next Sacramento Kings Offseason Event?

The start of the 2026-27 season is quickly approaching for Darius Acuff Jr. and the Sacramento Kings.

Sacramento will begin training camp in late September as they prepare to begin preseason play on Monday, October 5th when they face Luka Doncic and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers at Golden 1 Center.

Be sure to stay tuned into Sactown Sports all offseason for roster updates, schedule announcements, analysis, and much more.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings Offseason Schedule

• August TBD – 2026-27 NBA Schedule release
• Late September – NBA training camps begin

Sacramento Kings 2026-27 Preseason Schedule

• Monday, October 5th vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7 P.M. PST)
• Thursday, October 8th @ Los Angeles Lakers (7:30 P.M. PST)
• Saturday, October 10th @ Golden State Warriors (5:30 P.M. PST)
• Tuesday, October 13th vs. Portland Trail Blazers (7:00 P.M. PST)
• Friday, October 16th @ San Antonio Spurs (7:00 P.M. PST)

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