Thunder legend Russell Westbrook may be coming out of retirement, says former All-Star

Russell Westbrook played last season with the Sacramento Kings, and it seemed like he was going to come back and play for the team again. The Kings have a young group at the guard positions, so it would have made sense.

At this point in his career, it is hard to say if he would have wanted to play on that kind of team. There was a legitimate chance he could have returned to the Kings.

“The Stein Line first reported on Aug. 3 that Sacramento has sounded Westbrook out about a possible second season with the Kings ... as they search for a veteran mentor to prized rookie Darius Acuff Jr. It remains to be seen if Westbrook, who did not sign with Sacramento last season until mid-October, would be amenable to coming back in a lesser role under coach Doug Christie than he had in 2025-26,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote.

However, Westbrook didn’t join Sacramento. He retired instead.

“Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over,” Westbrook posted.

This shocked fans throughout the NBA, as most didn’t feel like it was time for Westbrook to retire yet. Westbrook is most known for the early part of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Two-time All-Star Zach Randolph believes he could come out of retirement.

“This man is supposed to be in the league for another 3-4 years at least. I’d like to see him with the Heat. Brodie got a lot left in him. I just saw his little brother yesterday Ray. He might be back,” Randolph said.

If Westbrook came back, it would be good for the league, as he still could be a valuable player for teams. Perhaps he felt like he had to retire because of the options he had in free agency.

Now, there is a good possibility that he could sign a small contract somewhere if he wants to compete for a playoff contender. Having Westbrook back in the league would be a major win for the NBA.

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