Former Rockets star is falling apart with no sign of recovery

As the Houston Rockets enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their roster seems to be absolutely stuffed with young, athletic players that, combined with the scoring efficiency of Kevin Durant, appear ready to push the ascendant team toward contention.

Yet, as the Rockets trend upwards, one of their former stars, dynamic guard Russell Westbrook, is evidently nearing the end of his career, remaining unsigned and relatively untargeted as training camp approaches.

Although rumors have connected Westbrook with various teams this offseason, there seems to be no real interest in guaranteeing him a spot on a roster over the host of veteran guards that remain on the market, and he may need to wait until after the start of the season to even get an opportunity.

The end of Russell Westbrook's career may be upon us

Westbrook, after 11 remarkable seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, joined former teammate James Harden in H-Town. Although it only lasted for just one season, with Westbrook being traded to Washington Wizards and Harden worming his way out to the Brooklyn Nets, it resulted in a strange and remarkable season for the Rockets.

Through 57 games, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and seven assists, jacking up an astonishing 22.5 field goal attempts per game and knocking down 47.2% of his shots. That season, he received both an All-Star nod and Third-Team All-NBA honors.

Yet, since his departure from Houston, Westbrook has bounced from organization to organization, spending time with the aforementioned Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Denver Nuggets. Additionally, he was traded to and waived by the Utah Jazz twice during this span (fun fact).

Now, as the Nuggets attempt to reshape their bench and prepare for another championship run, it appears as though Westbrook is without a home. In recent years, his ultra-athletic and fast-paced style of play has started to grow tiresome for some organizations as he has become no longer capable of leading an offense on his own.

At this point, any team looking to sign him would be signing themselves up for a rollercoaster experience on their bench unit: something only a team with a desperate need for energy might look for.

While the Sacramento Kings have shown interest, their sign-and-trade for Dennis Schroder and the sheer amount of ball-needy players on their roster should ultimately discourage them from pursuing such a deal.

Therefore, it remains the most likely scenario that Westbrook enters the season unsigned, looking for his opportunity as a result of injury or an emergent need once the regular season begins: an unfortunate fate for a player that has given so much to the game.