Throughout the offseason, rumors swirled about the Sacramento Kings' interest in veteran guard Russell Westbrook. When a signing failed to come to fruition before the preseason, though, it became uncertain as to whether or not Sacramento would sign the former MVP. According to Marc Stein, Sacramento still has "real interest" in Westbrook, but the Kings want to move a guard before bringing him in.
Who would the Kings consider trading? Stein reports that Devin Carter is "believed" to be more available than other players on the roster.
Could anything surprising happen? Sure, but it seems that the Kings won't sign Westbrook until making a trade first. At this point, there is a chance that Westbrook will remain unsigned once the regular season begins. The 36-year-old still seemingly wants to continue his career -- there have not been retirement rumors. However, the Kings have been one of the few teams mentioned as a realistic landing destination for Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook can still contribute if given an opportunity
He most recently played in the NBA last season, spending the 2024-25 campaign in Denver with the Nuggets. Although he may not be a superstar these days, Westbrook is capable of contributing. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per outing in 2024-25. Westbrook ended up finishing seventh overall in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting.
In order to contribute, however, Westbrook obviously needs an opportunity. The Kings may be willing to give him exactly that if they can make a trade soon.
Moving on from Carter presents risk, though. He is only 23 years old and the 2025-26 campaign will represent only his second season in the NBA. Carter features potential, so trading him for the purpose of signing a 36-year-old Russell Westbrook would be a questionable move. If Sacramento decides to go in that direction, the team must require valuable assets to help their potential rebuild.
Even if the Kings end up making a perfect trade that provides them with quality value, the deal would still be surprising. It's rare for a team that is not expected to contend for a championship to trade a 23-year-old in hopes of signing a 36-year-old. In all reality, it doesn't make sense.
It's worth noting that only rumors have suggested the Kings' possible interest in making the above scenario come to fruition. If the rumors are true, though, it could end up being one of the worst moves before the regular season.