Knicks Will Lose Out On Former MVP: Report

The New York Knicks have done a lot over the offseason in hopes of ensuring their success last season wasn’t a fluke. 

Although the Knicks kept their core rotation and added key free agents, the latest news casts doubt on their latest offseason plans. According to multiple sources, the Sacramento Kings are the favorites to land former NBA MVP and free agent Russell Westbrook. 

“According to a recent NBA insider report, the veteran guard is expected to sign with the Sacramento Kings for the 2025-26 season,” Siddhant Gupta of Yahoo Sports wrote. “Westbrook’s agent, Jeff Schwarz, has been in constant communication with the Kings franchise, and a ‘strong mutual interest’ between the two parties was also reported earlier.”

After averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, mostly coming off the bench for the Denver Nuggets last season, Westbrook declined his player option with the team next year, and he has yet to sign a deal for the 2025-26 season. 

Knicks Need All The Depth They Can Get

Last season, three Knicks players ranked in the top ten in minutes per game: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart. While the team is no longer led by Tom Thibodeau and his star-heavy rotations, the Knicks added valuable bench depth under new coach Mike Brown. 

Already, New York has picked up Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, but signing Westbrook would have been icing on the cake for a Knicks team that had their best playoff run in 26 years. 

When it comes to front-court depth, the Knicks added Yabusele alongside Mitchell Robinson and Karl-Anthony Towns, now one of the best big-man trios in the East, if not the NBA entirely. On the wing, they have Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, and now Clarkson.

But with running the offense and being a leader on the court, New York only has star player Jalen Brunson and a sometimes-consistent Miles McBride. Westbrook would have been a perfect backup for Brunson as a proven leader and someone who knows how to command the offense with great players around him. 

Westbrook is not at the same point in his career as he was when he won MVP and averaged a triple-double for three straight seasons, but his experience and mentality would have fit perfectly on a Knicks team that embodies grit and toughness. 

New York Still In Good Shape For 2025-26

The Knicks might miss out on Westbrook, but that doesn’t mean their offseason has been a disappointment. They are one of only a few teams that have yet to lose any players on their roster this offseason, and the players they added come on team-friendly contracts. 

New York got both Clarkson and Yabusele for a combined $10 million for next year, two players who will come in with significant roles on the team this upcoming season. 

“Yabusele will step in and immediately become the Knicks’ best sub,” Mat Issa from Forbes wrote. “Yabusele signed with the Knicks for a little less than the full taxpayer mid-level exception…(His contract) makes him one of the five best value signings of the offseason thus far.”

Per Issa’s reporting, the Knicks had the lowest-scoring bench in the entire NBA last season, but adding Yabusele, as well as Clarkson, will drastically help a team that has previously relied, perhaps too much, on its starters. Issa also added that the Knicks’ newest big man will help them run more double-big lineups, something that they had success doing with Towns and Robinson last season. 

Westbrook also would have been a great addition, but it doesn’t mean the offseason isn’t a success for the Knicks. While they aren’t out of the picture for landing Westbrook, all signs point to the fact that he’ll sign with a Kings team that currently features Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis.