The latest Russell Westbrook contract was a one-year, $3,634,153 veteran-minimum deal with the Sacramento Kings for the 2025-26 NBA season. However, that agreement has expired. As of July 15, 2026, Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent, and no team has officially announced his next contract.
Sacramento signed the former MVP on October 16, 2025. Although the deal was initially reported as non-guaranteed, Westbrook remained with the Kings through the season. Therefore, his full 2025-26 salary became guaranteed.
Russell Westbrook Contract Quick Answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Russell Westbrook under contract? | No, he is an unrestricted free agent as of July 15, 2026 |
| What was his latest team? | Sacramento Kings |
| How much was his Kings contract? | $3,634,153 |
| How long was the deal? | One season, covering 2025-26 |
| Was it a veteran-minimum contract? | Yes |
| Was it guaranteed? | Initially reported as non-guaranteed; it later became guaranteed |
| Did it include a 2026-27 option? | No publicly reported option |
| What was his Denver option worth? | Approximately $3.47 million for 2025-26 |
| What was his largest contract? | A five-year, $205 million extension with Oklahoma City |
| How much has he earned in NBA salary? | More than $350 million by the end of 2025-26 |
Current Russell Westbrook Contract Status
| Contract detail | Current information |
|---|---|
| Status | Unrestricted free agent |
| Previous team | Sacramento Kings |
| Signing date | October 16, 2025 |
| Contract term | One year |
| Listed value | $3,634,153 |
| Average annual salary | $3,634,153 |
| Contract type | Minimum Salary Exception |
| Initial protection | Reported as non-guaranteed |
| Final protection | Guaranteed after roster deadline |
| 2026-27 option | None reported |
| Next team | Not officially announced |
What Is Russell Westbrook’s Current Contract?
Westbrook does not currently have an active NBA contract. His one-year agreement with Sacramento covered only the 2025-26 league year.
Consequently, he became an unrestricted free agent after the contract expired. The NBA’s official free-agency explanation describes an unrestricted free agent as a player who may negotiate and sign with any team, subject to league rules.
Sacramento may still re-sign him. Likewise, another team may offer him a contract. Nevertheless, reported interest does not become official until a team announces a transaction or the league records the agreement.
Direct answer: Russell Westbrook is a free agent as of July 15, 2026. His $3.634 million Sacramento Kings contract has expired.
How Much Was Russell Westbrook’s Kings Contract?
The Sacramento Kings paid Westbrook $3,634,153 for the 2025-26 season.
The team officially signed Russell Westbrook on October 16, 2025. However, Sacramento followed its usual policy and did not disclose financial terms in the announcement.
The reported value matched the league minimum for a player with at least 10 years of NBA service. Since Westbrook entered his 18th season, he qualified for the highest experience tier on the minimum-salary scale.
Although $3.63 million is substantial money, it represented a major drop from his peak salaries. His previous supermax contract once paid more than $40 million per season.
Was the Kings Contract Guaranteed?
Reports described Westbrook’s Kings contract as non-guaranteed when he signed it.
That structure gave Sacramento flexibility early in the season. Specifically, the team could have waived him before the leaguewide guarantee deadline without owing all remaining salary, subject to the contract’s precise protection terms.
However, Westbrook stayed on the roster beyond that deadline and completed the season. As a result, the contract became guaranteed for 2025-26.
This sequence explains why older reports call the deal non-guaranteed while later salary databases list the full $3,634,153 as guaranteed. Both descriptions can be correct when attached to the proper date.
Did Westbrook’s Contract Include an Option?
The Kings deal did not include a publicly reported player or team option for 2026-27.
Therefore, Sacramento could not automatically keep him by exercising an option. Instead, the two sides would need to negotiate a new contract.
The absence of an option also distinguishes the Kings agreement from Westbrook’s previous Denver contract. That deal included a second-season player option, which he declined before entering 2025 free agency.
How Did Westbrook Perform for Sacramento?
Westbrook gave the Kings meaningful production on a minimum contract. According to his official NBA statistics, he played 64 games and started 58 during the 2025-26 season.
He averaged:
- 15.2 points per game
- 6.7 assists per game
- 5.4 rebounds per game
- 1.3 steals per game
- 28.9 minutes per game
In addition, he recorded six triple-doubles. One came against Chicago in March 2026, when he increased his NBA record to 208 career triple-doubles.
Still, teams evaluate more than traditional box-score production. They also consider efficiency, turnovers, shooting, defense, age, role and fit with other ball handlers.
Consequently, strong counting statistics do not guarantee a large new contract. They do, however, show that Westbrook remained capable of handling significant minutes during his 18th NBA season.
Why Did Westbrook Sign a Veteran-Minimum Deal?
Westbrook entered free agency in June 2025 after declining his Denver player option. However, he remained unsigned through most of the offseason.
Sacramento eventually offered a one-year minimum deal shortly before the regular season. The contract gave Westbrook an NBA roster place and an opportunity for a substantial role. Meanwhile, the Kings limited their long-term financial risk.
His market had changed considerably from his MVP years. At that stage of his career, teams no longer viewed him as a max-salary franchise centerpiece. Instead, they evaluated whether his pace, playmaking, rebounding and competitiveness fit a particular rotation.
Therefore, the veteran minimum reflected the market for his services at that time. It did not erase his previous accomplishments or career earnings.
What Is a Veteran-Minimum Contract?
An NBA minimum salary depends on a player’s years of service. Experienced players receive a higher cash minimum than rookies.
For 2025-26, Westbrook’s experience placed him in the 10-plus-year category. Consequently, his applicable salary was $3,634,153.
The league’s Minimum Salary Exception allows teams to sign players even when they operate above the salary cap. For context, the NBA set the 2025-26 salary cap at $154.647 million.
In some cases, special reimbursement and cap-charge rules prevent teams from being penalized for choosing an experienced minimum-salary player over a cheaper young player. However, those rules can depend on contract length, guarantee protection and other CBA conditions.
Therefore, three figures may differ:
- The salary paid to the player
- The amount charged to the team’s cap
- The amount used for luxury-tax calculations
Westbrook’s listed cash salary was $3,634,153. Without official Sacramento accounting, the article should not assume a different cap or tax figure.
Why Did Russell Westbrook Decline His Nuggets Option?
Westbrook signed a reported two-year, $6.8 million agreement with Denver in July 2024. NBA.com covered the two-year deal with Denver, which included a player option for 2025-26.
That option was worth approximately $3.47 million. In June 2025, Westbrook declined his player option and became an unrestricted free agent.
Opting out allowed him to explore a new team, role and salary. Nevertheless, it did not immediately produce a multiyear offer.
Later, the Kings signed him for $3,634,153. Therefore, his Sacramento cash salary was modestly higher than the option he declined, although he had to wait until October to secure it.
Russell Westbrook’s Denver Nuggets Contract
Westbrook joined Denver after a short transaction chain in July 2024.
First, the LA Clippers traded him to Utah as part of a sign-and-trade involving Kris Dunn. NBA.com documents the official Clippers-Jazz transaction.
Next, Westbrook and Utah completed a buyout. He then joined Denver on the reported two-year, $6.8 million agreement.
The contract included:
- A 2024-25 guaranteed season
- A 2025-26 player option
- A reported total value of about $6.8 million
Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 75 games for Denver. However, he chose not to return under the option year.
What Was Russell Westbrook’s Largest Contract?
Westbrook’s largest agreement was the five-year designated veteran extension he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in September 2017.
NBA.com reported the five-year, $205 million extension shortly after Westbrook won the 2016-17 MVP award. At the time, it ranked among the largest guaranteed contracts in league history.
The extension began with the 2018-19 season. Moreover, its final year included a player option that Westbrook exercised for 2022-23.
The contract moved with him through several trades:
- Oklahoma City to Houston in 2019
- Houston to Washington in 2020
- Washington to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021
- Los Angeles to Utah in 2023
Its final scheduled salary was roughly $47 million before Westbrook and Utah negotiated a buyout. Therefore, the supermax explains most of the enormous difference between his peak earnings and recent minimum deals.
Why Was Westbrook Eligible for a Supermax?
Westbrook qualified for a designated veteran extension because of his service with Oklahoma City and elite individual achievements.
Most importantly, he had just won the MVP award after averaging a triple-double in 2016-17. He also set the then-record with 42 triple-doubles in one season.
The designated veteran rules allowed Oklahoma City to offer a first-year salary based on a higher percentage of the salary cap than an ordinary extension. In addition, the Thunder could offer five new seasons.
Consequently, the team had a financial advantage over outside clubs when securing its franchise star.
Russell Westbrook Contract History
| Year | Team | Contract or transaction |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Seattle/OKC franchise | Rookie-scale contract after being selected fourth overall |
| 2012 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Multiyear extension, widely reported at five years and about $80 million |
| 2016 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Three-year extension worth about $85 million |
| 2017 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Five-year designated veteran extension worth about $205 million |
| 2019 | Houston Rockets | Acquired by trade with the supermax still active |
| 2020 | Washington Wizards | Acquired by trade with the same contract |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Lakers | Acquired by trade with the same contract |
| 2023 | Utah Jazz | Acquired by trade, then bought out |
| 2023 | LA Clippers | Rest-of-season minimum contract |
| 2023 | LA Clippers | Two-year deal reportedly worth about $7.8 million |
| 2024 | Denver Nuggets | Two-year deal reportedly worth about $6.8 million |
| 2025 | Sacramento Kings | One-year veteran minimum worth $3,634,153 |
| 2026 | Free agent | No new contract announced as of July 15 |
This timeline shows how the same player can move from a record-setting maximum contract to a minimum deal. NBA salary depends on current market value, team needs, age, role and cap rules rather than career reputation alone.
How Much Has Russell Westbrook Earned in His Career?
Westbrook has earned more than $350 million in NBA salary through the 2025-26 season, based on public salary histories.
However, exact totals vary among databases. For example, a source may count scheduled salary differently after a buyout. Bonuses, incentives and adjustments can also create small differences.
Moreover, career salary is not the same as net worth. Players pay taxes and professional fees, while endorsements, investments and businesses can add income outside basketball.
Therefore, the safest conclusion is that Westbrook has collected more than $350 million from NBA contracts without treating a public estimate as an audited personal financial statement.
What Could Westbrook’s Next Contract Be Worth?
No one can confirm the value until Westbrook and a team reach an agreement.
The NBA set the 2026-27 salary cap at $164.961 million. As a result, the minimum salary scale also increased from the prior season.
A team could potentially sign Westbrook through:
- The Minimum Salary Exception
- Available salary-cap space
- Part of a mid-level exception
- An applicable exception held by Sacramento
Nevertheless, having an exception does not mean a team will use all of it on one player. Roster fit and negotiation determine the final salary.
Given his age and recent contract history, another short-term agreement may be more realistic than a long guaranteed deal. Still, that is an inference rather than a confirmed outcome.
Can the Sacramento Kings Re-Sign Westbrook?
Yes. Sacramento can negotiate a new contract with Westbrook.
However, the expired deal does not give the Kings an automatic option to keep him. Both sides must agree on salary, role, contract length and guarantees.
The Kings must also consider roster spots and payroll restrictions. Meanwhile, Westbrook can speak with other teams because he is unrestricted.
Until Sacramento or another organization announces a signing, his next destination remains unsettled. Readers can follow the official 2026 NBA free-agent tracker for completed moves.
Is Westbrook Still Worth an NBA Contract?
His 2025-26 production provides an argument that he can still contribute.
Westbrook averaged 15.2 points and 6.7 assists while starting most of his games. In addition, his pace, rebounding and playmaking can help a team that needs another ball handler.
However, the fit must be deliberate. A team may want him to lead a second unit, mentor younger guards or cover injuries. In contrast, a contender with established creators may prefer a lower-usage shooter or defender.
Therefore, the question is not only whether Westbrook can play. It is also whether a team has the right role, minutes and lineup structure for him.
Frequently Asked Questions About Russell Westbrook’s Contract
1. What is Russell Westbrook’s current contract?
Westbrook does not currently have an active contract. Instead, he is an unrestricted free agent as of July 15, 2026.
2. Is Russell Westbrook still with the Sacramento Kings?
His one-year Kings contract has expired. However, Sacramento can still negotiate a new agreement with him.
3. How much did Russell Westbrook make with the Kings?
Westbrook’s 2025-26 salary was $3,634,153. Therefore, he received the applicable minimum for a player with at least 10 years of service.
4. Was Russell Westbrook’s Kings contract guaranteed?
It was initially reported as non-guaranteed. Nevertheless, it became guaranteed after he remained on the roster through the league deadline.
5. Did the Kings contract include a player option?
No player or team option for 2026-27 was publicly reported. Consequently, a return requires a new contract.
6. Why did Westbrook decline his Nuggets option?
Declining the approximately $3.47 million option allowed him to enter free agency and seek a new role. Later, he signed with Sacramento for slightly more money.
7. What was Russell Westbrook’s biggest contract?
His largest deal was a five-year extension worth about $205 million with Oklahoma City. Moreover, it followed his 2017 MVP season.
8. How much has Russell Westbrook earned in the NBA?
Public salary histories place his career NBA earnings above $350 million. However, exact totals vary because sources treat buyouts and adjustments differently.
9. Can Westbrook re-sign with the Kings?
Yes. The Kings can offer him a new deal, while Westbrook can also negotiate with every other NBA team.
10. How much could Westbrook’s next contract be worth?
The amount remains unknown until he signs. Still, teams could use the veteran minimum, cap space or another permitted exception.
Conclusion
The most recent Russell Westbrook contract paid $3,634,153 for one season with the Sacramento Kings. He produced 15.2 points, 6.7 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, but the agreement expired after 2025-26.
Therefore, Westbrook is an unrestricted free agent as of July 15, 2026. Sacramento may bring him back, or another team could offer a role. However, no new deal is official yet.
His current market stands in sharp contrast to the five-year, $205 million supermax he signed in 2017. Ultimately, Westbrook’s next contract will depend on role, fit and roster flexibility rather than his past salary or reputation alone.
