The One Veteran the Kings Need to Bring Back Next Season

The Sacramento Kings are still in the early stages of their rebuild, and the focus should continue to be around the young players as they offload the older players on the roster, but there's one veteran they should make sure to bring back next season: Russell Westbrook

Unlike the other veterans on the team in Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk, Westbrook is a free agent, and the two sides could amicably part ways as he heads to another NBA team. So why would the Kings, who are in desperate need of cutting ties with some of their veterans, bring back Westbrook for his 19th year?

Number Seven Pick

The Kings have the seventh pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and all indications are that they are going to grab their point guard of the future with the selection. It's not clear who, as Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and others are all projected to be on the board when the Kings are on the clock, but unless a player like Caleb Wilson plummets or the Kings reach for a player like Nate Ament, guard should be the way to go.

And who better to help mentor the Kings' franchise point guard of the future than the future Hall-of-Famer in Westbrook.

Westbrook was instrumental to the trio of Kings rookies last season in Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell, and helped bring them all along. He and Raynaud quickly developed chemistry in the pick-and-roll, and Cardwell took strides on offense that can be attributed to Westbrook's help.

Kings rookies Max Raynaud and Nique Clifford discuss what they've learned from veterans Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan

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And those are players that didn't even play the same position as Westbrook. Russ may not be a stereotypical point guard, but he's averaged 8.0 assists per game throughout his 18 seasons, and had 6.7 per contest last year in Sacramento. He has a unique ability to both score and facilitate that many of these guards connected to the Kings also have early on in their careers.

Westbrook Can Still Play

Feb 9, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) reacts after a dunk against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

And it's not just the mentorship. Westbrook showed that he can still perform on the highest level, as he averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 rebounds to go along with those 6.7 assists last season. The Kings likely won't be great next year, but there's no reason they should be as bad again and finish around 22 wins.

Especially with the potential new lottery odds, the Kings don't need to 'tank' this season. If injuries go their way, there's no reason the Kings shouldn't be able to at least compete for the tenth spot in the West and a chance to get back to the Playoffs.

Money

If Westbrook was making north of $20 million, or even $10 million, it would likely be a different story, but at this point of his career, Westbrook has been playing on veteran minimum contracts. Compared to Sabonis, LaVine, and DeRozan, that's pennies in the NBA.

Last year, he signed with the Kings for $2.3 million, and there's no reason to think he should cost more than that again next year. That's great value for someone who can provide what Westbrook does not only on the court, but off it as well, and a great reason to bring him back for another year in Sacramento.

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