After roughly two months of free agency, OKC Thunder legend Russell Westbrook remains fully available on the open market.
Considering he just finished seventh in the running for Sixth Man of the Year by producing to the tune of 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game with the 50-win Denver Nuggets, seeing the Brodie still unsigned should come as a bit of a surprise.
To make matters worse for Westbrook, the primary team that was rumored to be interested in attaining his services in the Kings now seems to be having a change of heart with their backcourt configuration, as it was recently revealed that they are now content with keeping Malik Monk on their roster heading into the upcoming campaign.
It would have been his departure that could have carved out a spot within the rotation for the former All-Star to take over.
Now, the belief that Westbrook could be heading toward retirement is growing stronger than ever, which, in turn, only increases the likelihood of him potentially inking an honorary, one-day deal with the Thunder.
Thunder should be monitoring Russell Westbrook situation closely
Though a practice perhaps best known within NFL circles, over the past several years, the NBA has begun toying around with one-day deals so that particular players can retire with the franchise of their choosing.
Back in 2016, Amar'e Stoudemire agreed to such a deal with New York to retire as a Knick. Paul Pierce did the same in 2017 so he could retire with the Boston Celtics.
If Westbrook is truly at the finish line of his playing career and ultimately opts to cross it, there's no doubt that he should be the next star to receive the opportunity to wrap things up on his own terms and, more specifically, with his own team.
Though it's been seven years since he last suited up for the Thunder, Westbrook still continues to vocalize just how much the organization and the Sooner State as a whole mean to him. Back in March during this past season, he even went as far as to say, "Anything that's happening in Oklahoma City, for the future and for the growth of Oklahoma City, I will be a part of it."
Though admittedly "LA to the core," Russ sees OKC as a place that raised him. To Thunder fans, he'll always be their beloved GOAT player.
After 11 years, eight All-Star nods, an MVP win, and dominating a large chunk of the franchise's record books, Westbrook has earned the right to finish his career in OKC.