NBA insider shuts down ‘laughably false’ Russell Westbrook rumor

With just a few weeks to go before the start of training camp, Russell Westbrook is still without a team. The Sacramento Kings did not re-sign Westbrook after his one-year contract, although they are reportedly considering bringing him back.

There have not been many suitors for the former MVP in the offseason. He had a similar situation in 2025, when he struggled to find a squad before the Kings scooped him up just a few days before the start of the season.

Only the Miami Heat have been mentioned as a possible taker for the 37-year-old Westbrook. A rumor also popped up that the veteran guard is planning to sign with Hapoel Tel Aviv in Israel. The Stein Line’s Marc Stein, however, refuted it.

“One source close to the process told The Stein Line that a recent report suggesting that Russell Westbrook was in talks to sign abroad with Hapoel Tel Aviv was ‘laughably false,'” wrote Stein on his Substack.

“Westbrook to this point has not considered leaving the NBA after 18 seasons, winning MVP honors in 2017 and his strong production last season in Sacramento at age 37: 15.2 points and 6.7 assists per game as well as 58 starts.”

An overseas career might be a good option for the veteran playmaker, but as Stein pointed out, Westbrook believes that he still belongs in the NBA. He is still chasing his first ring.

Adding an aging and erratic guard, who also has a mercurial personality, may not be prudent for any squad, so the odds are stacked against Westbrook. But he has shown in his stints with the Kings and the Denver Nuggets that he is willing to accept a lesser role as long as he has a chance to compete.

The nine-time All-Star has career averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.6 steals.

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