Russell Westbrook has been one of the subjects of NBA rumors in this year's offseason. Now, there are speculations circulating around that the Sacramento Kings is planning to sign the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar.
ESPN sports reporter Marc Stein said Westbrook could end up in the Kings now that he will be a free agent in 2017. The Kings don't have many players on the trading block, but among them are Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, Georgios Papagiannis, and Willie Cauley-Stein.
Sportsrageous, however, noted that none of them are considered as star players yet and this might deter the OKC Thunder from a trade with the club, with only Kings center DeMarcus Cousins as the team's only superstar. If the Kings would be successful in signing Westbrook, the 27-year-old player would be a welcome addition to the team alongside Cousins, propelling them into one of the Western Conference's improved teams.
Westbrook's friend Kevin Durant also left the OKC Thunder for the Golden State Warriors this year. Westbrook reportedly felt "angry and hurt" when Durant left the OKC Thunder without informing him, ESPN reported.
There are also rumors that the Boston Celtics are looking to sign Westbrook so they'd have a superstar for the lineup designed to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James. Other speculations put Westbrook in the sights of Miami Heat, which is known for their aggressive take in free agency as evident in the time they signed James a few years ago.
However, there are talks that the OKC Thunder is not ready to let go of Westbrook yet. Some reports claimed that the team is hoping to convince the five-time All-Star to sign an extension to his current deal.
According to Basketball Insiders, Westbrook can push for a renegotiation that would increase his 2016-17 season salary to $26.6 million from $17.8 million. The OKC Thunder could push for a new $118 million contract with Westbrook that would probably last for four years, or until 2020.
The same deal could also be offered to Westbrook by his new team if he gets traded. His salary in the new team could go up by $8.8 million in the 2016-17 season.
David Aldridge of NBA.com said last month that Westbrook will not be signing an extension deal with the OKC Thunder this season. In a tweet posted on July 5, Aldridge said from a league source that Westbrook will not do a renegotiation or an extension for his contract with team. He only has one year left in the OKC Thunder.
