Former Lakers Castoff All-Star Linked to East Team in Free Agency

Oct 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) and guard Russell Westbrook (0) head down court in the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Ringer's Michael Pina listed former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook as one of the best remaining players in NBA Free Agency, and believes he would be a good fit on the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Westbrook is quite clearly a poor fit for a playoff team in just about every context, and he’d have no purpose on a tanking loser that would rather develop someone 15 years younger," said Pina. "That leaves teams somewhere in the middle. Maybe the Milwaukee Bucks, a club stumbling through its 11th hour and in real need of another ball handler not named Kevin Porter Jr.? Westbrook clearly wouldn’t accentuate Giannis Antetokounmpo in the half court, but Milwaukee could use someone who puts pressure on the rim when he’s out of the game."

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Westbrook was an MVP-caliber player during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder; however, his decline since the turn of the decade has relegated him to a role player. Since moving on from the team that drafted him after the 2018-19 season, he has played for five different teams.

Westbrook has made nine All-Star Games, is a two-time scoring champion and won the 2016-17 MVP award.

He averaged 17.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in 2024-25, placing him in seventh in Sixth Man of the Year for the second consecutive year. Westbrook is still a valuable asset to any team, and may fit the Bucks well.

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Veteran point guard Cole Anthony is the only Bucks guard who would keep Westbrook out of a spot currently, and his energy would be all-important to a team who will be fighting for a top seed in a shaken-up Eastern Conference.

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