Russell Westbrook Has Interest From 2 Very Surprising Teams

Russell Westbrook's free agency hasn't exactly been top of mind for most teams around the NBA. In fact, after a report last week from insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report that the Sacramento Kings have no plans at all of bringing him back, one has to wonder what teams DO have interest in the former MVP. 

Recently, it was revealed that the Miami Heat were warned to stay away from Russ, if they were in any way considering bringing him in.  

An NBA coach reportedly told the Miami Heat to stay away from Russell Westbrook because he’s difficult to coach, per @flasportsbuzz

“An NBA source who has relationships with Erik Spoelstra and other coaches said that a coach that Spoelstra trusts told him that he advised the… pic.twitter.com/xH6UXtwecC

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 24, 2026

An NBA coach who had Westbrook on one of his teams in the past told Erik Spoelstra to steer clear of Westbrook because "he's difficult to coach."

So where does that leave the former nine-time All-Star? 

According to a new report, two teams overseas have interest.

Russell Westbrook has interest from Greece’s Panathinaikos and Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv, per @gsole14 pic.twitter.com/lfHLMRMVrA

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 28, 2026

Panathinaikos in Greece and Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv have both expressed interest, per Gerard Sole, a EuroLeague insider. 

Plenty of NBAers over the years have played for both clubs. And most recently, Patrick Beverley raved about how much he enjoyed his time with Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Patrick Beverley, an NBA player who's now playing in Tel Aviv, says Israel is paradise on earth.@patbev21 pic.twitter.com/FKICQ2Wxzp

— Frum TikTok (@FrumTikTok) September 6, 2024

We'll see if Westbrook still has any takers at all in the NBA. If not, he's got some options overseas.