2017 NBA MVP Inks Deal with the Sacramento Kings
This past NBA season, the Denver Nuggets looked to show they were very much still a championship-caliber team. After they signed 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to a one-year deal, it seemed like this Nuggets team had a high chance of making it back to the NBA Finals. However, this team would be eliminated after a grueling seven-game series by the eventual Western Conference champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, during the Western Conference Semifinals. A few weeks after Denver’s season concluded, the former MVP decided to decline his $3.4 million player option. It was just announced by Shams Charania that Westbrook has agreed to a deal with the Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook was selected as the fourth overall pick during the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics, who then relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder. During his time in Oklahoma City, the 2017 NBA MVP developed into a top-tier talent in the league and brought much hope with their stacked roster. By his third NBA season, he was selected as an all-star, and the Thunder had become a playoff team. With the young team full of talent, with the likes of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, this team should have been to the NBA Finals multiple times. However, the pieces started falling apart with the first domino being the Harden trade. A few years later, Durant would sign with the Thunder’s rival Golden State Warriors, and while this would hurt the Thunder's chances to win an NBA championship significantly, the play of Westbrook was at his best as he would average a triple-double and win the NBA MVP Award. Two seasons later, the former MVP was traded to the Houston Rockets, pairing him up with his former teammate, Harden. After just one season in Houston, Westbrook was on the move once again, this time to the Washington Wizards. The 36-year-old point guard was traded again after one season in Washington. Now, with the Los Angeles Lakers and being paired with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Westbrook could have been a key asset in helping the Lakers go on another championship run. Yet, that was not the case. He then played with the Los Angeles Clippers after being traded and waived by the Utah Jazz. During the 2024 off-season, the former MVP signed a deal with the Nuggets.
During the 2024-2025 NBA season, Westbrook played in 75 games with the Nuggets. He started in 36 games with the team. In 28 minutes a game, he averaged 13 points, five rebounds, six assists, and a steal a game. The 2017 NBA MVP recorded four triple-doubles this season. During a 114-105 win over the Golden State Warriors on March 17th, Westbrook scored 12 points, pulled down 12 rebounds, and dished out 16 assists. This season with the Kings, the former MVP is looking to help contribute to an NBA Championship run.
