{"id":265914,"date":"2026-04-13T18:23:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/265914\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T18:23:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T18:23:16","slug":"russell-westbrook-is-open-to-re-signing-with-sacramento","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/265914\/","title":{"rendered":"Russell Westbrook is open to re-signing with Sacramento"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"94\" data-end=\"445\">After completing his 18th NBA season, Russell Westbrook made it clear that a return to the Sacramento Kings is something he would welcome\u2014if the opportunity presents itself.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"94\" data-end=\"445\">Speaking at his end-of-season press conference, the veteran guard emphasized that while his future is uncertain, his mindset remains the same as in recent years.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"447\" data-end=\"639\">\u201cYeah, I wouldn\u2019t mind coming back,\u201d Westbrook said. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m always\u2014anywhere I\u2019m wanted, I\u2019m there. I want to be able to be helpful, be productive, but also I understand it\u2019s a business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"979\">That openness to return stands as the central takeaway from a season in which Westbrook became one of the few bright spots for a Kings team that finished just 22-60.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"979\">After joining the roster just days before the start of training camp, Westbrook quickly carved out a significant role, ultimately starting 58 of the 64 games he played\u2013all while on a veteran\u2019s minimum contract.<\/p>\n<p><img data-perfmatters-preload=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61957\" class=\" wp-image-61957\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773946391_118_GettyImages-2257703454-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 06: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles the ball against the Dallas Mavericks at Golden 1 Center on January 06, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)\" width=\"665\" height=\"443\"  \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-61957\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo by Ezra Shaw\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p>More on Russell Westbrook<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"981\" data-end=\"1369\">Despite the late arrival, Russell Westbrook delivered a productive campaign, averaging 15.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"981\" data-end=\"1369\">His impact went beyond the box score, as he recorded six triple-doubles and 16 double-doubles, his highest totals in a season since 2021-22.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1371\" data-end=\"1482\">Reflecting on the year, Westbrook acknowledged the unusual circumstances surrounding his arrival in Sacramento.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1484\" data-end=\"1637\">\u201cI didn\u2019t have a job until a couple of days before the season,\u201d he said. \u201cSo I had no expectations. I was just blessed and thankful to have an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1639\" data-end=\"1855\">While the team struggled in the standings, Russell Westbrook found personal satisfaction in both his durability and his leadership. At this stage of his career, he views mentorship as one of his most important contributions.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1857\" data-end=\"2051\">\u201cI think leadership is probably, for me, one of my best traits that I really enjoy the most,\u201d he explained. \u201cAnytime I\u2019m able to have an opportunity to be able to do that, I look forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-62117\" class=\" wp-image-62117\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2260991172-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Russell Westbrook #18 of the Sacramento Kings and Maxime Raynaud #42 speak during a break during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on February 09, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman\/Getty Images)\" width=\"671\" height=\"447\"  \/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-62117\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(Photo by Tyler Kaufman\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2053\" data-end=\"2294\">That leadership extended to Sacramento\u2019s young core, which Westbrook praised for their development and resilience late in the season. His presence provided stability during a turbulent year, something not lost on teammates and coaches alike.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2296\" data-end=\"2501\">As he heads into free agency this summer, Russell Westbrook remains grounded in his approach. Rather than chasing specific outcomes, he is focused on fit, opportunity, and continuing to enjoy the game.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2503\" data-end=\"2569\">\u201cMy job is to be ready, be prepared, and be ready to go,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2571\" data-end=\"2752\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Whether that next opportunity comes in Sacramento or elsewhere, Russell Westbrook has made one thing clear: he still has plenty left to give\u2014and he wouldn\u2019t mind doing it right where he is in 2026-27.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check out all of the Sacramento Kings\u2019 end-of-season press conferences on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLpcywQAXltoMWGV90LQ4OTRHbPmfDMGG7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Sactown Sports YouTube page.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>When is the next Sacramento Kings offseason date of interest?<\/p>\n<p>The Sacramento Kings will now look ahead to the highly anticipated NBA Draft Lottery, which is set for Sunday, May 10th.<\/p>\n<p>Sacramento hasn\u2019t secured the top pick in the NBA Draft since 1989, when it selected center Pervis Ellison with the first overall selection.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to stay locked in to Sactown Sports 1140 all offseason for NBA Draft Lottery coverage, NBA Draft previews and analysis, NBA Summer League content, and MUCH more!<\/p>\n<p>More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports<\/p>\n<p>Upcoming Sacramento Kings &amp; NBA Offseason Schedule<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday, April 14th \u2013 NBA Play-In Tournament begins<br \/>\nSaturday, April 18th \u2013 NBA Playoffs begin<br \/>\nSunday, May 10th \u2013 NBA Draft Lottery<br \/>\nThursday, June 4th\u2013 NBA Finals begin<br \/>\nThursday, June 25th \u2013 NBA Draft (Round 1)<br \/>\nFriday, June 26th \u2013 NBA Draft (Round 2)<br \/>\nTuesday, June 30th \u2013 NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)<br \/>\nThursday, July 9th \u2013 NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins<br \/>\nMonday, July 13th \u2013 Free Agency moratorium ends \/ signings can become official<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Thank you for reading\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sactownsports.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SactownSports.com<\/a>. Follow us on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Sactown1140\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMMGengsw2Ki2Aw?hl=en-US&amp;gl=US&amp;ceid=US:en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Google News<\/a>, and subscribe to our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/SactownSports1140\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">YouTube<\/a>\u00a0channel.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"twitter-follow-button\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FCartoscelli3\" data-show-count=\"false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Follow @FCartoscelli3<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/sactownsports.com\/newsletters\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SactownSportsEmail-300x250-1.jpg\" style=\"margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"mobile-signup\"\/>\t&#13;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SactownSportsEmail-830x100-1.jpg\" style=\"margin: 0 auto;\" class=\"desktop-signup\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>                    <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After completing his 18th NBA season, Russell Westbrook made it clear that a return to the Sacramento Kings&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":135875,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122],"class_list":["post-265914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sacramento","tag-sacramento","tag-sacramento-headlines","tag-sacramento-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=265914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/265914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=265914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=265914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=265914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}