John Wall's retirement announcement on Tuesday not only serves as the end of an era for the All-Star's professional playing career, but also a reminder of the less buzzed-about path former OKC Thunder cornerstone Russell Westbrook could opt to take this summer.
After wrapping up the 2024-25 campaign as a member of the Denver Nuggets back in May, the veteran point guard has gone untouched on the open waters of free agency. Now, with roughly a month and a half to go until training camps open, there's no real evidence to suggest he'll be snatched up any time soon.
Sure, there have been rumblings about the Kings being interested in attaining his services, while Thunder fans have been daydreaming about a possible storybook reunion with their beloved franchise GOAT.
However, after nearly two full months of being readily available, he still remains unsigned, which begs the question: Might it be time for Westbrook to call it a career as well?
John Wall news sheds light on possible pivot plan for former Thunder star
Considering the impressive level he just saw himself playing at, to suggest Westbrook should now be thinking about retiring may sound rather insulting on the surface.
After all, he just placed seventh in the running for Sixth Man of the Year last season while boasting solid averages of 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game with the Nuggets.
With that being said, even with his counting stats and standout flashes during Denver's 2025 playoff run, Russ still doesn't appear close to landing a new deal with a team.
Does he really want to suit up for his sixth team and waste his time in year 18 playing for a mere Play-In Tournament club like Sacramento?
With nine All-Star and All-NBA nods, two All-Star Game MVPs, an NBA MVP, the league record for most triple-doubles ever recorded, and a spot on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team already locked in, there's no doubt that Westbrook is bound for Springfield when he ultimately decides to hang up his jersey.
On top of that, his No. 0 will without question be hoisted up into the rafters out at Paycom Center once his playing days are officially over.
With all this in mind, outside of winning a title, there's really not much left for the 36-year-old to accomplish -- his all-time legacy is already secured.
Unless a legitimate title-contender floats him an offer, following Wall's path into the sunset could prove to be both a real and, in some ways, preferable plan for Westbrook this offseason.