A recent report linking Russell Westbrook to Hapoel Tel Aviv is “laughably false,” a source close to the situation tells Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link). That rumor made the rounds on social media despite coming from a dubious source.
It’s the second time in as many years that a report connecting Westbrook to the EuroLeague club has been emphatically shot down. In June 2025, Hapoel Tel Aviv’s general manager said that speculation about a potential deal with the former NBA MVP was “100% fake news.”
Westbrook continues to draw real interest from the Kings, who would like to bring him back as a veteran mentor for rookie point guard Darius Acuff Jr. However, Stein says it remains to be seen whether the 37-year-old will reciprocate Sacramento’s interest, given that he’d almost certainly be in line for a reduced role after averaging 29.0 minutes per game as a King last season. For what it’s worth, Westbrook didn’t sign with Sacramento until October 16 last year.
Here are a few more highlights from Stein’s latest dispatch of NBA intel:
The possibility of Bradley Beal re-signing with the Clippers hasn’t been ruled out, Stein writes. Beal surprisingly turned down a $5.6MM player option in June to become an unrestricted free agent and has also received interest from Miami. Assuming L.A. finalizes its Kawhi Leonard trade, the team will have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Cam Christie on a non-guaranteed deal. The team is also said to have sign-and-trade interest in Peyton Watson and still might re-sign restricted free agent Bennedict Mathurin, so it’s unclear if there will be a spot for Beal on the projected 15-man regular season roster.
Speaking of Watson, the Clippers, Bucks, and Cavaliers are all still considered teams to watch for the Nuggets restricted free agent, Stein says. League sources confirm to The Stein Line that Cleveland continues to explore trade scenarios involving Dennis Schröder and/or Max Strus. If the Cavs are able to move off one or both of those players, it could create a path for the front office to make Watson a four-year contract offer via sign-and-trade, Stein explains.
Unrestricted free agent guard James Harden remains in limbo as the Cavaliers consider various roster moves, but he’s still “a lock” to eventually re-sign with Cleveland, Stein notes. The team is exhausting its potential pathways to acquiring Watson or Jonathan Kuminga before making things official with Harden on a multiyear deal.