Why Has No Team Acquired the 2017 NBA MVP Yet?
In one of the more interesting and head-scratching storylines in the 2025 NBA offseason. Russell Westbrook, who was signed to the Denver Nuggets last season, has not yet signed with anyone. The question is, are they trying to avoid him? Though Westbrook is not what he used to be when he was battling for the MVP trophy in 2017 against James Harden. He is still as energetic as ever and fights for every possession while being aggressive, driving the ball, and playmaking.
Westbrook, in his one season with the Nuggets, averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Teams like the Sacramento Kings have shown interest in acquiring Westbrook, but no deal has been made yet. The highly anticipated decision of Westbrook's next team can very well be the last team he plays for. Is that halting his decision? Westbrook has also shown times of immaturity through his career, which has hindered his success a lot. For example, one incident saw him walking off the court after being subbed out of the game. That situation reportedly created tension with Laker teammates at the time.
He has also been flawed defensively in recent years, not playing as hard on the defensive end of the ball. Then there is the criticism of his jump shooting. Westbrook has been a decent three-point shooter at times, but never good. The NBA now is very much about shooting, and Westbrook's play at this point in his career can slow down a team, and I’m not sure many teams are willing to take the risk if the reward is not guaranteed. There might be an announcement soon on where he will end up, though. Westbrook wrote in a recent blog post. "It’s no secret that there’s news about where I’ll end up on the horizon, and I appreciate y'all's interest… but just hold tight, there’s more to come," Westbrook said.
Any team will benefit from Russell Westbrook's play in some capacity. For some teams, it’ll benefit them to have a legend and future Hall of Famer on their team. Teams would be wise to sign him to get over that hump and win a championship. Sooner or later, the announcement will come that Westbrook will be signing with a team. Fans can only hope that it'll be a team he can thrive in and excel during what seems like the last stint of his career.
