Knicks Emerge Among Favorites to Sign Former NBA MVP in Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
It has been a busy offseason thus far for the New York Knicks. They made multiple additions to their roster and a massive coaching change.
Of course, the Knicks began the offseason by firing coach Tom Thibodeau despite reaching their first Eastern Conference finals since 2000 last season. They hired former Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown as his replacement after about a month of interviews with multiple candidates.
In free agency, the Knicks focused on upgrading their bench. They signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele. The Knicks still have one roster spot open and are expected to add another veteran for their second unit.
One player the Knicks have been linked to in free agency is former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, who would bolster their guard depth. According to Bovada, the Knicks have the second-best odds (plus-350) to sign Westbrook this season.
The Sacramento Kings are the favorites to win the Russell Westbrook sweepstakes, per @BovadaOfficial
Sacramento Kings +150
New York Knicks +350
Milwaukee Bucks +400
Miami Heat +600
Dallas Mavericks +800
New Orleans Pelicans +900
Minnesota Timberwolves +1000 pic.twitter.com/3XDNImHZAU— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 26, 2025
The Kings are the favorite (plus-150) to sign him while the Milwaukee Bucks (plus-400), Miami Heat (plus-600) and Dallas Mavericks (plus-800) were also listed.
While Westbrook is no longer the MVP caliber player he once was, he is still a solid player who showed last season with the Denver Nuggets that he can play a key role on a contending team.
Due to this, Westbrook would be a solid fit off New York’s bench. He would give them a scorer and playmaker that their second unit lacked last season.
Westbrook would also be able to take the pressure off Jalen Brunson when he is resting on the bench, which has been a major issue for the Knicks over the last handful of seasons.
The Knicks have been linked to many other veterans that also could fill their final roster spot, but there is no doubt Westbrook would be a solid addition to their second unit.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.