The NBA world is buzzing — and not in a good way — after news broke that Russell Westbrook still hasn’t found a team willing to sign him. Once considered one of the most electrifying and unstoppable forces in basketball, the former MVP now finds himself on the outside looking in, and NBA players are speaking out about it.

From disbelief to frustration to quiet sympathy, reactions across the league have painted a shocking picture of how fast things can change for even the biggest stars.

Behind the scenes, the 35-year-old guard has reportedly been training daily, waiting for a call that hasn’t come. Teams are staying silent, and executives are hesitant — worried about fit, ego, and age. Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer, is facing the one thing no player ever wants to admit: the league might have moved on.

When the story broke that Westbrook hadn’t received a single formal offer as training camps approach, NBA players flooded social media with reactions. Some were stunned, others sympathetic — and a few, brutally honest.

“That’s crazy. Russ still got gas left, man,” tweeted Draymond Green. “Y’all act like he forgot how to hoop. Dude can still give you 20, 8, and 8 any night.” Green wasn’t alone — several players echoed that sentiment, saying Westbrook’s work ethic and energy are unmatched, even in the twilight of his career.

But not everyone saw it that way. One anonymous veteran told an insider, “Russ plays one way — and it’s all about him. You can’t build around that anymore.” The comment quickly spread online, reigniting debates about whether Westbrook’s fiery mentality, which once made him a superstar, has now become his biggest obstacle.

LeBron James, who played alongside Westbrook on the Lakers, reportedly expressed disappointment at how quickly public opinion has turned against his former teammate. “People forget what this man did for the game,” LeBron said privately, according to one source close to the Lakers camp. “He played harder than anybody every single night. He never cheated the game. But the narrative controls everything now.”

Fans have also taken sides. On X (formerly Twitter), one trending post read: “The NBA blackballed Westbrook for playing with heart while giving minutes to guys who don’t care.” Another said: “Russ didn’t decline — the league just stopped appreciating effort.”

Still, others pointed to cold, hard numbers. Westbrook’s shooting percentages, turnovers, and diminished role in recent seasons have been glaring issues. After brief stints with the Clippers and Lakers, teams reportedly view him as “too volatile” to lead a second unit — and “too ball-dominant” to play off the bench quietly.

Patrick Beverley, one of Westbrook’s fiercest competitors turned supporter, said on his podcast, “It’s wild. You’re telling me there ain’t a single team that can use Russ? Stop it. He’s one of the hardest-working dudes in the league. If this was anybody else, they’d already have a deal.”

Meanwhile, younger players like Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant have publicly defended him, crediting Westbrook for paving the way for explosive, athletic guards to play their game. “Bro opened the door for all of us,” Edwards said in a recent interview. “He made it cool to attack, to play fearless. People forget that.”

Westbrook himself has remained completely silent, focusing on training in Los Angeles and staying close to family. Insiders say he’s “frustrated but not broken,” believing that someone will give him one last shot — even if it’s a veteran’s minimum deal or a midseason signing.

But others close to the situation aren’t so sure. “He’s been calling teams through his agent,” one source revealed. “He wants to play, but no one’s biting. The league’s changed. It’s all about spacing and shooting now — and Russ doesn’t fit that mold.”

The irony is painful: for over a decade, Westbrook was the engine of every team he played for — a relentless competitor who brought emotion, fire, and intensity every night. He was once the MVP, the man who averaged a triple-double across an entire season — three times. But now, he’s being treated like a relic from another era.

Kevin Durant, his former teammate in Oklahoma City, didn’t stay quiet either. When asked about Westbrook’s situation, KD said, “Russ is one of the greatest to ever do it. He’ll always land on his feet. People love to doubt him — that’s when he proves everybody wrong.”

But even Durant’s optimism may not change the reality. Front offices are colder than ever, and sentiment doesn’t win games. “No GM wants to take the PR hit if it doesn’t work out,” one NBA executive admitted anonymously. “He’s too high-profile for a small role, and teams don’t want the drama.”

Inside NBA circles, some players privately admit they’re shocked by how quickly the league discards legends once they stop fitting the system. “If it can happen to Russ, it can happen to anybody,” one player said. “That’s the part that hurts.”

Fans are now calling on contenders — Miami, Milwaukee, or even Phoenix — to take a chance on Westbrook as a bench spark or locker-room leader. “Imagine Russ on the Heat,” one fan wrote. “That energy next to Jimmy Butler? Unreal.”

But for now, those dreams remain speculation. The reality is harsh — a once-iconic superstar is sitting at home, watching training camps open without his name on any roster.

As one former coach put it bluntly: “Russ’s biggest strength was always his passion. But that same passion makes it hard for him to be a role player. He only knows one speed — all or nothing.”

And that might be the tragic end of Russell Westbrook’s NBA story — not with a farewell tour, not with fanfare, but with silence.

Still, if there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s this: never count Russell Westbrook out. He’s been doubted before, criticized, mocked, and written off — and every single time, he’s come back fighting.

Maybe this isn’t the end. Maybe it’s just another chapter in the saga of one of basketball’s most misunderstood warriors. But as the NBA moves on without him, one question lingers in every player’s mind — how did it come to this?