Russell Westbrook declined his 2025-26 player option with the Denver Nuggets to become an unrestricted free agent. Now, according to insider Marc Stein, the Knicks are reportedly among the teams that will show interest in the former MVP when free agency ends. While the Knicks are in need of backup guards, Westbrook would be a disastrous option for New York.
Insider Ian Begley of SNY confirmed the report, stating that "There will be mutual interest between veteran guard Russell Westbrook and the Knicks when free agency opens."
Westbrook's legs still have more miles left in them. He is obviously not the MVP or perennial All-NBA player he once was, but he is still a spark plug and energy setter of the bench and can take over the game for small stretches. He is also still an exceptional rebounder for his position.
That said, Westbrook was never a good shooter and has become a worse one. This team needs to lean into spacing and shooting, especially with Tom Thibodeau no longer serving as a roadblock in that regard. Bringing in another non-shooter would be disastrous for this team, especially when there are much better options available.
Westbrook shrinks the floor too much
Knicks fans know all too well what things look like when a non-shooter is on the floor. All playoffs long, teams sagged off of Josh Hart, clogging driving lanes for others or sending doubles at Karl-Anthony Towns. Teams defend Westbrook in the same manner.
According to league tracking data, Westbrook had an average distance of 8.4 feet from the closest defender on his above-the-break 3-point attempts. For reference, that was the fourth-largest distance in the league among players who took at least 150 above-the-break threes.
It was the same story when he would stand in the corners, where he was given an average of nine feet of space, the fifth most among players who attempted at least 100 corner threes.
There are better options available
There are plenty of options available that the Knicks should look at before turning to Westbrook, even within their organization. So far, they have been linked to Jordan Clarkson, Ty Jerome, Luke Kennard, Tyus Jones, and Dennis Schroder. They also have second-year guard Tyler Kolek already on the roster.
Westbrook has name recognition, and the signing would no doubt generate some excitement and jersey sales, but his best playing days are behind him. The Knicks need to lean into offense and shooting to get the most out of the lineup, and Westbrook doesn't help the Knicks there; in fact, he actively would hurt them.