The Case For Russell Westbrook to Start for the Sacramento Kings

With Keegan Murray out due to injury, the Sacramento Kings will need someone to fill in as the fifth starter. Could Russell Westbrook slot in on his new team?

Mar 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) smiles ahead of a sign reading “Russ” after a play against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It's been reported that the Sacramento Kings intend to sign former MVP Russell Westbrook, and while he's likely being brought in to back up Dennis Schröder, the signing begs the question: Could he start while Keegan Murray is out due to injury?

BREAKING: Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook has agreed on a deal to sign with the Sacramento Kings, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. The 2017 league MVP enters his 18th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/Y0SrfKJrcf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 15, 2025

Westbrook joins the team as yet another guard, so he doesn't truly bring what the team needs, but thankfully, he has size for a point guard. Standing at 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, he's got the length and athleticism to play bigger than his size.

The Kings don't have a perfect option to fill in for Murray, so they're going to have to get creative one way or another. They could start any of Keon Ellis, Dario Saric, Nique Clifford, or Isaac Jones, but all of them have drawbacks as a starter.

So starting Westbrook instead would be right on par with other positives and negatives compared to all of the other options. While Westbrook doesn't bring everything that Murray brings to the court, he does a lot of good things on the court that would the team.

Rebounding

A lot of people talked about the loss of Murray's shooting and defense, but he was also quietly the Kings' second-best rebounder. He improved drastically on the boards last season, averaging a career-high 6.7 rebounds per game.

Westbrook is one of the best rebounding guards in the entire league. He doesn't grab boards like he did during his MVP days, but he can still crash the glass when on the court. He averaged 4.9 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game last season for the Denver Nuggets.

He could fill in as the second leading rebounder on the starting unit, as none of Dennis Schröder, Zach LaVine, and DeMar DeRozan are known for their rebounding skills.

Pushing the Pace

Jan 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) dribbles past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) during the second quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Doug Christie has a clear vision for this team. He wants them to be a team that defends and pushes the pace as much as possible. It's hard to find someone better to get out in transition than Westbrook.

He's still one of the most athletic players in the league, even at age 36, and is so hard to slow down with the ball in his hands. Whether it be driving all the way to the rim or setting up teammates for quick threes in transition, Westbrook being on the court should only help the Kings increase their pace.

Additional Playmaking

Throughout his career, Westbrook has had the unique ability to both score and facilitate, and that hasn't gone away with age. He averaged 6.1 assists last season with the Nuggets as he continued his ability to affect the game in a multitude of ways.

Christie wants the Kings to pass and move the ball, which means they'll need multiple facilitators on the court at the same time. He instantly becomes the second-best facilitator on the team behind Domantas Sabonis.

Adding him to the starting lineup would give the Kings five players on the court who can move and pass the ball to set each other up to bring Christie's offensive vision to life.

It wouldn't be perfect, but unfortunately, the Kings have been put in a situation where they have to make it work one way or another. Westbrook may not be the best option to start, but at the same time, he may not be the worst. Only time will tell what role Westbrook has, but anything could happen as the season is set to get underway.