Russell Westbrook Is Getting Big Money Offers To Play Basketball For 2025/26 Season In China

It’s a strange world we live in when a future first-ballot Hall of Famer is sitting at home, phone not ringing, while teams are filling out their rosters with guys who couldn’t hold his jockstrap a few years ago. Yet, here we are. Russell Westbrook, the walking triple-double man, the 2017 MVP, is currently unemployed by the NBA.

Westbrook Is Getting Offers From China To Play

But just when you think the basketball world has completely lost its mind, a lifeline—or rather, a Brinks truck—appears from halfway across the globe. Reports are swirling that an unnamed team in China is ready to back up the truck and offer Westbrook a deal so massive it makes an NBA veteran’s minimum look like pocket change. We’re talking a deal rumored to be quadruple what a team like the Sacramento Kings could even legally offer him.

So, while NBA front offices are apparently debating whether Westbrook can still contribute, a team in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is essentially saying, “We’ll take him, and we’ll make him fabulously wealthy for half a season of work.” You have to laugh. It’s the kind of over-the-top, almost comical news that reminds you why the NBA offseason is the best reality show on television.

How Did We Get Here? The Lingering Shadow of the Lakers

To understand why a player of Russell Westbrook’s caliber is even in this position, you have to rewind the tape to his disastrous stint with the Los Angeles Lakers. It was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming for the L.A. native, a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russ that would steamroll the league. Instead, it was a train wreck in slow motion.

The fit was awkward from day one. Westbrook’s high-turnover, ball-dominant style clashed with LeBron’s need to orchestrate the offense. The spacing was a nightmare, and every missed shot or errant pass was magnified under the blinding lights of Hollywood.

Pretty soon, the narrative was set. It was all Russ’s fault. He became the scapegoat for a poorly constructed roster and a season of underachievement. Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom didn’t mince words, stating that Westbrook was unfairly singled out by a team led by LeBron James. Whether that’s entirely fair or not is up for debate, but what’s undeniable is that the “scapegoat” label has stuck to him like glue, poisoning the well for his future prospects in the league. His time with the Clippers and Nuggets showed flashes of the old Russ, but the damage to his reputation was already done and he showed decline.

Should Triple Double Man Take the Money and Run?

Now, facing a potentially career-altering decision, what should Russell Westbrook do? The offer on the table is reportedly in the $15-16 million range for about half a season of play. For a 36-year-old player with a lot of miles on his tires, that’s an offer you can’t just dismiss. It’s “retire to a private island” money.

What is the logical move? Take the deal. Go to China, be the undisputed alpha on a team that will worship the ground you walk on, and put up video-game numbers. Remind everyone what a force of nature you can be when you’re the main man and he’d probably average a triple double a game if he does go there. He can either take the money and enjoy a victory lap career overseas or use it as leverage to force an NBA team’s hand. Either way, don’t count the man out just yet. There’s still some left in the tank for Russell Westbrook aka Triple Double Man.