The two teams that were interested in signing Russell Westbrook before his surprise retirement

Russell Westbrook has officially walked away from his career as an NBA player, announcing his retirement amid the 2026 offseason.

The former MVP, who is also the all-time leader in triple-doubles, averaged 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds last season with the Sacramento Kings, his 18th and final season in the NBA.

His numbers prove he could still have been an impactful rotational player if he returned this year, as NBA teams were interested in having him play in the 2026-27 season.

ESPN revealed that Westbrook had offers from two of his former teams, the Kings and Wizards, to return for a 19th NBA season. The 37-year-old turned them down to step away from the NBA on his own terms.

“Westbrook had offers this offseason with the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards but chose to step away from the game on his own terms, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania, ending one of the most statistically robust careers in league history.”

Westbrook spent last season with the Kings, being applauded for his locker room leadership as the franchise wanted him back this year to mentor their No. 7 pick, Darius Acuff Jr.

Westbrook averaged 22.2 points, 11.7 assists, and 11.5 rebounds in the 2020-21 season with the Wizards, which led to his final All-Star and All-NBA selection, and was also the last time the Wizards made it to the NBA Playoffs.

Both the Kings and Wizards are familiar with Westbrook and clearly appreciated his presence in their locker room, but the guard presumably didn’t want to fall in the rotational pecking order and end his career as a tenth man.

He averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds over his career, making nine All-Star teams and nine All-NBA teams, while being a one-time MVP and the all-time leader in triple-doubles.

Westbrook played for the OKC Thunder, Houston Rockets, Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and ended his career with the Kings.

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