Russell Westbrook's time with the Sacramento Kings, not to mention his entire career, came to an abrupt end this offseason when he chose to retire. There's no denying the Kings could still use his services as a coach, but that seems less and less likely considering his big retirement plans.
After the end of his 17th season in the league, Denver asked Westbrook to not take his player option and leave the team. It seemed like a short-sighted move, considering how well he played for them. The move looked even worse as the Nuggets' mediocre season limped over the finish line.
The only team to offer Brodie a contract for his 18th season was the Kings, and he made the most of it. He put on an impressive performance, to say the least, as their starting point guard. He wanted to keep playing in Sacramento, so keeping one of the greatest PGs of all time was a no-brainer.
Instead, the Kings asked Westbrook to play second fiddle to their new rookie point guard, Darius Acuff Jr., and mentor him. That wasn't the role Brodie was looking for, so he chose to retire. Sacramento has filled the void left by Westbrook with Ben Simmons, a move that is...well, it is.
Getting Westbrook back is improbable, but not impossible
Since then, Westbrook has been playing basketball on a yacht with CP3. It's good work if you can get it. In addition to his business ventures and preparing for his jersey retirement in OKC, he has also signed onto a new basketball company called Project B as its co-founder and chief strategy officer.
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but retirement is not going to be a quiet decade or two at the beach for Westbrook. He's always been a busy, driven guy. That doesn't mean he couldn't be tempted back to the NBA, this time as the bench boss for the Kings.
This isn't the first time I've floated the idea of Brodie being Sacramento's head coach. He has everything it takes to be successful in a role like that. While he might never have won an NBA Championship, the man knows exactly what it takes to get the job done.
It's unlikely the Kings will get Westbrook to leave retirement behind so soon. He's fresh off his player career, and obviously has a lot on the go. Give him a few years. He'll hit his early 40s, and really start missing the bright lights of the NBA. When that happens, the Kings need to be ready with a contract.
