Russell Westbrook ‘Not Thinking About’ Free Agency: Is a 19th NBA Season in Trouble?
Russell Westbrook is doing his best zen act, and it is not exactly convincing.
Speaking to CNN, the veteran guard was asked how he is thinking about his free agency situation with training camp about six weeks away. His answer was that he is not thinking about it much at all.
“I don’t, honestly,” Westbrook said. “I love playing basketball. If it happens, it works, and that’s my plan.”
Sure. That is the party line for every free agent who does not have a phone ringing. Westbrook is 37, turning 38 in November, and he is trying to land a 19th NBA season during the deadest stretch of the calendar. This is the point where the market either finds you or forgets you.
The reports on Westbrook this summer have not been flattering. There were unflattering rumblings about his role and locker room fit last year with the Sacramento Kings. Contending teams have shown limited interest. A few connections have surfaced, including the Houston Rockets floating him as a depth option, but nothing has been serious enough to end up on the transaction wire.
Here is the honest read. Westbrook can still play. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game for Sacramento last season, which is real production for a bench guard. His finishing at the rim held up. His playmaking is still there. He continues to be one of the best rebounding guards ever.
The problem is fit. Westbrook is a ball-dominant player who needs the game to run through him to be effective. That is a tough sell for a team building around a young star, and it is a tougher sell for a veteran team that already has an established point guard rotation. His shooting has never been reliable enough to slot him as an off-ball wing.
Add in the salary situation. Any team signing Westbrook is doing it at the veteran minimum. His last few contracts have all been near the bottom of the pay scale, and that is not going to change. The question for him is whether joining a title contender for a minimum deal is worth swallowing his ego, especially when the role would probably be third or fourth in the guard rotation.
The Rockets keep coming up as a landing spot because they know him and their culture in the locker room reportedly appreciated his energy. The 76ers have been mentioned as a place LeBron James wanted him. Even the Lakers have been speculated as a homecoming option if the guard rotation gets thin.
None of those seem imminent. That is why Westbrook is doing the CNN sit-down with the practiced answer about not thinking about it. He is trying to protect his brand and remind the league that he is still around. The louder that message gets, the less confident it sounds.
Russ deserves credit for keeping himself in NBA shape through 18 years. He also deserves an honest conversation about what the next contract looks like. If a real offer does not come in the next few weeks, he will have a decision to make about whether he plays overseas, sits out the year, or announces the end of one of the most singular careers of his generation.
Right now, he is telling us he is not thinking about it. Every free agent says that. Almost none of them mean it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
