Russell Westbrook is officially betting on himself again.
The nine-time All-Star has declined his $3.5 million player option with the Denver Nuggets and will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, according to veteran NBA insider Marc Stein.
This means that for the second time in two seasons, Westbrook will enter the open market and while a return to Denver isn’t off the table, his future is up in the air.
Denver’s Russell Westbrook is declining his player option for next season to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, league sources tell @TheSteinLine.
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— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 13, 2025
The 36-year-old played 75 games for the Nuggets this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
In the playoffs, he came off the bench and contributed 11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds as Denver battled through two seven-game series, first against the Clippers, then against the Thunder, who ended the Nuggets’ season in the conference semis.
After undergoing surgery to repair two breaks and multiple ligament tears in his right hand following the season, Westbrook sounded optimistic in his personal newsletter.
“Grateful for everyone’s support all year and I can’t wait to be back out there at 100 percent soon,” he wrote. “The comeback is already in motion.”
This latest twist is just another chapter in Westbrook’s whirlwind post-Thunder journey. Since leaving OKC in 2019, he’s had stints in Houston, Washington, both LA teams, and now Denver. His most recent run in the Mile High City saw flashes of vintage Russ, high energy, relentless pace, and still a nightmare in transition. But it also saw the toll of time and injury.
Westbrook’s resume speaks for itself: MVP in 2017, nine All-NBA selections, and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He’s averaged 21.2 points and 8 assists per game over 17 seasons.
With free agency just weeks away, the question becomes: who’s ready to roll the dice on one of the most electric point guards in league history?
Or maybe the Nuggets bring him back on a new deal.
Either way, one thing’s clear: Russell Westbrook isn’t done yet.
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