When you look at it from the surface, Russell Westbrook on the Sacramento Kings doesn't make a lot of sense. But there is a very simple reason he's on the team, and that's because no other team in the league wanted him after he was asked to leave the Nuggets. He took the only contract offered to him.
The Kings are having a season so bad that it will be the stuff of legend. They are making history with every loss. At the same time, Russell Westbrook continues to make history in his career, climbing up various all-time leaders and adding to his own long list of honors.
Westbrook is, without question, a living legend still playing great basketball in his 18th season. As such, someone like Chandler Parsons, a former NBA player and co-host of FanDuel's Run It Back, can be forgiven for not understanding how Russell ended up on a basement-dwelling team at all.
"How the hell are you there? ... Get the hell out of there and go somewhere where at least you're valued and can compete to win."
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 13, 2026
Chandler Parsons believes Russell Westbrook deserves better outside of the Sacramento Kings.
(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/91p2zTI7yS
On a recent episode of Run It Back, the entire crew was going over how bad the Kings are, and it is a hearty topic to mine. Parsons said point-blank that he doesn't understand why Westbrook is in Sacramento, and he needs to move to a new team. He might not remember the 2025 offseason.
Russell Wesbrook is a King because no one else asked
For the 2024-2025 season, Brodie was a member of the Denver Nuggets. They were a contender, and he seemed to be fitting in. He had a two-year contract with a player option for the second year. After the season, the Nuggets' front office asked him not to take the option and leave.
Westbrook obliged as he's not someone to stay where he's not wanted. This made him a free agent, with everyone expecting several offers to be made. No one showed up. No team in the NBA made a move on bringing Russell in, leading to rampant speculation that he was going to end up in China.
Fairly close to the start of the 2025-2026 season, the Kings brought Wesbrook in on a veteran minimum deal. He ended up playing incredibly well, even becoming the starting point guard for the team. While the Kings have had a brutal season, Russell has exceeded all expectations.
To answer Parsons' original question, Russell Westbrook is on the Kings because no other team in the NBA wanted him. And there's no indication that's changed. He's only on a one-year deal, but the Kings will hopefully keep him on as he makes a great mentor to their young players.
If Sacramento doesn't re-sign him, then Westbrook's time in the NBA may be over.