Browsing: interest

Russell Westbrook remains without a contract to start the NBA season. He chose not to pick up his $3.5 million player option in Denver (not a shock after he had a locker room clash with Aaron Gordon during the playoffs), but no team has stepped up yet with a deal to replace it.

Despite rumored offers for him in China, Westbrook is staying put stateside, and his most likely landing spot remains the team he flirted with all summer, the Sacramento Kings. Here is what ESPNâ€s Shams Charania reported on NBA Today.

“Iâ€m told there is strong mutual interest between Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings. And the Kings have a need for a reserve point guard. They were 29th in bench points, 29th in bench assists last season. Russell Westbrook helps with that, and heâ€s got relationships across that organization. Domantas Sabonis, heâ€s close with, played with him. He played with Dennis Schroeder as well, DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine. They have L.A. ties as well. BJ Armstrong, the new assistant general manager there. He knows BJ Armstrong from the agency side, and he does have respect with Scott Perry, their new general manager, and Doug Christie, their new head coach. Weâ€ll see if a deal gets done before the start of the season or during this upcoming year.â€

Charania is not the only one reporting this, well-connected Sacramento radio guy Carmichael Davecalled it “70/30 Russell Westbrook joins the Kings this year.†If the sides can figure out the money.

Sacramento does have an open roster spot and is about $5.4 million below the luxury tax line. Dennis Schroder will start at the point, but unless second-year player Devin Carter is ready to make a big leap up to backup point guard, that role falls more to Malik Monk, who is better as an off-ball two guard (but can play some point). Itâ€s easy to see where he slots into the roster, the question is money.

Westbrook, 37, averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists a game last season for the Nuggets, and he remains one of the highest energy players in the game. However, heâ€s not a consistent or efficient scorer at this point in his career, nor is he a great defender. He could fill a bench role, as he has done the past couple of seasons, but donâ€t be shocked if we get into the season before a team makes that offer.

Sacramento is also a roster that could look very different at the end of the season. This is a team open to trading DeRozan, LaVine or Sabonis if the deal is right. Where Westbrook would slot into all that is a question for coach Doug Christie.

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Will Russell Westbrook sign with the Kings? That certainly appears to be an option as the 2025-26 NBA season inches closer.

There is notable mutual interest between Sacramento and the nine-time All-Star, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Friday on “NBA Today.”

“I’m told there is strong mutual interest between Russell Westbrook and the Sacramento Kings,” Charania said. “The Kings have a need for a reserve point guard. They were 29th in bench points, 29th in bench assists last season. Russell Westbrook helps with that and he has got relationships across that organization. Domantas Sabonis, he’s close with, played with him.He played with Dennis Schröder as well.

“DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, they have LA ties as well. B.J> Armstong, the new assistant general manager there. He knows B.J. Armstrong from the agency side and he does have respect with Scott Perry, their new general manager and Doug Christie, their new head coach. We’ll see if a deal gets done before the season or during the upcoming year.”

Westbrook’s decorated resume speals for itself, with an NBA MVP and two scoring titles to his name. While the 37-year-old guard is a ways removed from his prime, Westbrook appears to still have plenty left in the tank after serving as a vital cog in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation during the 2024-25 NBA season.

Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in 75 appearances for Denver in his last campaign, shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 32.3 percent from deep.

The Kings signed Schröder to a three-year contract that likely slots him into Sacramento’s starting point guard role, but the addition of Westbrook could prove to be a vital step in insulating the team’s backcourt for the marathon that is the NBA season.

Sacramento opens the regular season on the road against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 22. Whether or not Westbrook will be in a Kings jersey by then remains to be seen, but it certainly is something to keep an eye on going forward.

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When Blake Monroe joined WWE NXT, she didnâ€t just sign with a new company — she closed the door on her old identity. The former AEW and STARDOM star, known to fans as Mariah May, made the deliberate choice to retire that name and start fresh under a new persona that carries deep personal meaning.

Speaking to Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio, Monroe explained that she had no interest in keeping her old name when she joined WWE, calling it a chapter that had already run its course.

“No. If youâ€re familiar with my prior name, I feel like it was the end of a story, and I cherish that. Itâ€s kind of cool that she died and thatâ€s done,†Monroe said. “Mariah is my real name, and I wish I had never used that in wrestling because itâ€s weird. I did it and canâ€t change it. The chance to start something new, and with WWE, weâ€re going to make this new thing and make it a megastar.â€

The NXT star revealed that her new name isnâ€t random — itâ€s a tribute to her niece, Blake, who inspired the change.

“My niece is Blake. We used to watch WWE together and sheâ€d jump on the bed and be so excited. When they said, ‘How would you feel about the name? Would you be open to changing it?†I said, ‘I absolutely would.†Monroe was the first wrestling name I ever wrote down. I still have it in a book and a screenshot from 2017.â€

Monroe said the combination of “Blake†and “Monroe†perfectly represents who she wants to be as a performer — part grit, part glam.

“People donâ€t like the name because they think itâ€s boyish, but thatâ€s why I like the name. I feel if youâ€re in a really intense feud, itâ€s like, ‘Monroe,†while ‘Blake†is more serious. Blake is my niece and itâ€s unisex, and Monroe is so pretty, but a little gimmicky. I thought putting the two together was different. The name was a little controversial, which I like because people are talking about me.â€

Blake Monroe officially joined WWE in June after leaving AEW in May, and sheâ€s already turning heads in NXT. Her decision to reinvent herself isnâ€t just about a fresh start — itâ€s about creating something new, powerful, and personal under the WWE banner.

Do you think Blake Monroe made the right call by leaving Mariah May behind? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.

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Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson recently addressed the possibility of him running for President of the United States of America.

The idea of him running for president has been floating around for years, even providing a key plot point of NBCâ€s Young Rock series. During a recent interview with Variety, Rock said heâ€s honored that people ask him about running for president, and concluded his comments by saying “weâ€ll see.â€

The Rock says:

“Itâ€s wild, man. Iâ€m always honored when people ask that. I love what I do. I love storytelling. But yeah… weâ€ll see.”

A 2021 poll found that 46 percent of Americans would support Rock running for president, the highest percentage of any celebrity in the poll, beating out names like Tom Hanks and Oprah Winfrey. Shortly after the pollâ€s release, Rock commented on it in an Instagram post, writing:

“Humbling ðŸðŸ¾ðŸ¤¯
I donâ€t think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club – but if it ever happens itâ€d be my honor to serve you, the people”

Rock is currently promoting his Mark Kerr biopic Smashing Machine, in which he plays the title role. There have been rumours he could be in Oscar contention for his performance. He told Variety that he knew he had more to offer the acting world.

“I feel like this has, for me, been brewing inside of me for some time — just this idea of: ‘Wait, I think I can do more. I feel like I want to do more.†And then it comes… and then Iâ€m going to do it with Benny Safdie. And then I start to get a little cold feet — ‘Wait, can I do more?†You know?”

Rock’s full interview with Variety is available here.

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William Saliba has agreed a new long-term contract at Arsenal. The 24-year-old centre-back has been a mainstay of Mikel Artetaâ€s team since the 2022-23 season and his decision to extend is a huge boost, not least as he has been a target for Real Madrid.

Salibaâ€s existing terms run until June 2027 and getting him to re-sign has been a priority for the clubâ€s sporting director, Andrea Berta, and the rest of the hierarchy. Arsenal are primed to confirm the deal, which has been months in the making.

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Saliba was asked in July whether he would re-sign. “Yes, hopefully,†he said. “There is nothing now but there is a good conversation with my agent and the club. Letâ€s see.â€

Saliba is considered to be Artetaâ€s defensive leader and one of the teamâ€s most important figures. He played more Premier League minutes than any other Arsenal outfielder in each of the past two seasons; the club had the competitionâ€s meanest defensive record in both.

Signed in the summer of 2019 from Saint-Étienne for £27m, he was loaned back to them for the season before spending the second-half of 2020-21 on loan at Nice. He played on loan at Marseille in 2021-22, when he was named in the Ligue 1 team of the season. He has been in the Professional Footballers†Associationâ€s Premier League team of the season for the past three years.

Salibaâ€s central defensive partner Gabriel Magalhães signed a contract extension in June while Arsenal also tied down Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to new deals over the summer.

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