Russell Westbrook's NBA future remains uncertain as he awaits new deal
It's the Summer of 2010s Point Guard Reunions. Damian Lillard went back to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Milwaukee Bucks waived him after he tore his Achilles to make room for Myles Turner. Now, Chris Paul has returned to the LA Clippers for likely his last season.
Everybody shifted their focus to Westbrook. He's the last 2010s point guard available. While a return to the Oklahoma City Thunder would be Disney storybook material, it doesn't reflect reality. The NBA champion has its roster set and doesn't need to bring in the future Hall-of-Famer.
The best the Thunder could offer is a one-day contract when Westbrook is ready to retire. That feels like an inevitable move. It happens all the time in sports as a sentimental gesture for franchise icons who've departed. After that, plans for his jersey retirement and statue should commence in time for the new OKC arena's opening in 2028.
While Westbrook has swallowed his pride in recent years and accepted a bench role, that might no longer be enough to get him a new NBA contract. It's been quite a nosedive for the superb-athletic guard over the last handful of seasons. Stil being unsigned this late in the offseason is a new experience.
There are still nearly three months left until 2025-26 training camps start. Westbrook should be able to drum up some NBA interest during that time. Maybe he can even wait until the season is underway to see if he could grab a deal as a possible sparkplug. But his slow offseason is another cruel reminder that the 36-year-old could be nearing the end of his career.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
20 minutes ago
- USA Today
What Georges Niang is willing to do to help the Celtics in Jayson Tatum's absence
Boston Celtics power forward Georges Niang is very familiar with the winning tradition of the Green Team. The Massachusetts native grew up less than an hour away from TD Garden and knows Celtics fans always have high expectations, even when their star player, Jayson Tatum, is out indefinitely with an Achilles injury. Niang wants to honor that fact by preparing to help out in any way he can this summer. The NBA journeyman arrived in Boston earlier this offseason following a massive trade that moved former Celtics starter Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. Since Niang was traded for a fan favorite, he realizes that his homecoming isn't exactly a cause for celebration among Celtics fans. To impress the Boston faithful, and atone for grabbing the knee of Celtics star Jaylen Brown back in the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Niang is committed to immediately contributing to winning. He said as much on the "OGs" podcast with former NBA vets Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, emphasizing that being a part of a losing squad is a death sentence in Boston. "You don't want to be in Boston losing, that's for sure," he stressed. "What can I do this summer? Can I come in, in the best shape that I'm in, and also mentor, and kind of teach, and also learn — because (the Celtics) have won championships. And dial all that into one, and focus every day on how can I win the day, and then win games." While Niang's role with the Celtics wouldn't be that significant in prior seasons, it is for the 2025-26 campaign. Tatum is down, multiple starters from last season are gone, and Boston is no longer one of the deepest teams in the league. If Niang can hit his 3-pointers and hustle like he has along every other stop in his NBA career, perhaps Celtics fans will warm up to the New Englander. But, to earn that respect, winning is the ultimate key, and Niang understands that. Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Spotify: iTunes: YouTube:
New York Post
20 minutes ago
- New York Post
NBC could resurrect a sports cable channel in sports media twist
Executives at NBCUniversal are eying a new sports cable network, roughly four years after they shuttered the previous one the company operated. The unnamed cable channel would carry sports that will also stream on the company's service, Peacock, with the network potentially going live as early as the fall, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. No decision has been made, and talks are in the early stage, according to the report, but the network would be available on cable and satellite services as part of specialty packages. NBC could bring back a sports cable network. Getty Images The channel would complement the Peacock streaming platform and would give the company a safety net of sorts if its subscriber base doesn't grow as quickly as the network anticipates. The news comes months before NBC officially joins as a broadcast partner for the NBA, which cost NBCU roughly $2.5 billion annually for the rights to carry the league package. NBA games this season will air on both linear NBC and on Peacock. The Wall Street Journal report also indicated that the potential sports network would be made available through specific cable packages, rather than the broader plan that includes other sports networks such as ESPN and Fox Sports 1. Previously, NBC operated NBC Sports Network — also known as NBCSN — before it shut down in 2021 due to low ratings and its inability to compete with ESPN. NBCSN used to cover the NHL before the channel was shuttered in 2021. NHLI via Getty Images NBCU has aired 'Sunday Night Football' simulcasts on Peacock, along with an exclusive NFL game that is carried only on the streaming service. Other sports offerings on the streamer include golf, college football, the Olympics and Premier League soccer before the NBA enters the fray in the fall. Peacock's subscription cost went up by $3 to $10.99 a month for its ad-supported tier and to $16.99 for its tier with no commercials.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jeff Teague quickly walked back on his baseless LeBron steroid accusations
LeBron James is set to enter his 23rd NBA season, and at 40 years old, he's still an All-Star caliber player. It's an astonishing career that spans multiple eras. But instead of choosing his favorite LeBron era, former NBA guard Jeff Teague sent a podcast discussion off the rails with a wild PED accusation about James. In the latest edition of the Club 520 Podcast, Teague was asked to choose the best version of James. And he said "Miami Heat 'Bron" without hesitation. And then to back up his argument, he went on to claim that James was using steroids. Like, out of nowhere. Teague said that once the league started testing for HGH, James suddenly had to sit out for multiple weeks with a mysterious back ailment only to come back skinnier. Teague told the story and was like, "I was in the league. I remember." Except none of that happened. The NBA didn't start testing for HGH until the 2015-16 season, and James was already back on the Cavaliers at that point. In his entire time with the Heat, LeBron never missed more than six games in a given season. LeBron did miss eight games in 2014-15 due to a back issue, but he was on Cleveland at that point. And, again, the injury predated the league's HGH testing program. Shortly after the comments went viral, Teague took to his Instagram to clarify that he was just joking. Yeah, safe to say that Teague heard from his agent or lawyer after that one. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jeff Teague walked back on his baseless LeBron steroid accusations
