Russell Westbrook turned down offer from Eastern Conference team to play in 2026-27 season

Last week, former MVP Russell Westbrook announced his retirement from the NBA.

It wasn't a complete shock, but considering he's been a productive player on rosters in recent years, it still appeared he had a place in today's NBA, even this late in his career.

In fact, he had a multi-year deal on the table offered by an emerging Eastern Conference team, but he decided to turn it down.

Russell Westbrook turned down offer from Eastern Conference team to play in 2026-27 season

NBA insider Marc Stein revealed the Wizards had offered Westbrook a two-year contract this offseason, but he declined and decided retirement was the next best option for him.

Stein described the situation, saying, "The 37-year-old apparently balked at the specific terms of the offer and/or the role presented and has decided to stop playing instead."

MORE: Nikola Jokic eyeing triple-double record following Russell Westbrook's retirement

The Wizards have been a bottom-tier team in the East for the last few years, but have some hope entering this season, after aquiring Trae Young and Anthony Davis last season, as well as drafting AJ Dybantsa 1st overall in the draft this summer.

As Stein said, Westbrook's role may have been smaller than he would have liked to have.

He would have been a great player to mentor some of the young up-and-coming players in DC, but that might not have been the type of situation he wanted to be in if it meant playing less time in games.

Westbrook has previous ties with the Wizards, as he played there during the 2020-21 season. He averaged a triple-double that season, which was one of the four seasons he did that during his career.

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