Kings Rookie Maxime Raynaud Opens Up About Russell Westbrook's Impact

The Sacramento Kings took a chance on veteran point guard Russell Westbrook right before the 2025-26 season started, signing him to a one-year deal, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions they could have made.

From an on-court perspective, Westbrook exceeded expectations, but his impact went further than his 15/5/6 stat line. During a recent appearance on Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective, Kings rookie big man Maxime Raynaud opened up about his reaction to when the team first signed Westbrook and how the 37-year-old point guard has been "an amazing vet."

“I mean, it’s unreal, to be honest. We were about to play LA for one of our preseason games, I believe. ... But I just walked into the training room. I see Russ standing there ... and it turned out we just had signed him this morning. So it really changed everything for me. I think he had a great history of making his bigs better and making the people around him better. Obviously, he’s a top five passer ever," Raynaud said (h/t HoopsHype).

"So we very quickly had a connection, especially in that short roll and also in transition. And he was really that guy that gave me a ton of confidence. You know, like the one thing about Russ is that he’s going to keep talking to you. He’s an amazing vet.”

Westbrook's veteran presence

Many fans were skeptical when the Kings signed Westbrook, and for good reason. The Kings were already one of the oldest teams in the league, and the last thing it seemed like they needed was a backup point guard on the brink of retirement.

Of course, Westbrook quickly earned the starting spot and turned out to be one of their most consistent and impactful players. As Raynaud says, though, he was also an incredible veteran leader.

Raynaud admits that Westbrook gave him a boost of confidence by being a reliable leader and veteran who was willing to communicate. On a team that needs to look toward the future and build around its young core, the Kings' signing of Westbrook turned out to be one of the best choices possible. Westbrook turned into the leader the team needed, and Raynaud, Dylan Cardwell, and Nique Clifford will all greatly benefit from having him in the locker room and on the sideline.

Mar 14, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) gestures against the LA Clippers during the second half at Intuit Dome. | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

This is not the first time Raynaud has shared this sentiment about Westbrook, as he called him a "legend of the game" while speaking on his impact as a leader back in March.

"First of all, he’s a legend of the game, so everything he tells us basketball-wise is just gold nuggets here and there. ... Besides that, he’s just a really joyful, driven individual who brings that energy, that talk, laughter in the locker room, while still being a high-level professional and setting the tone for us rookies, but really for the whole team," he said.

Even though Sacramento's season has not gone to plan, signing Westbrook for a year will pay dividends as Raynaud and the team's other young players continue to develop.