Russell Westbrook Reportedly Declines $3.5M Nuggets Contract Option Before Free Agency

Russell Westbrook reportedly is going to test free agency after a successful 2024-25 season with the Denver Nuggets.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Friday Westbrook is declining his $3.5 million for the 2025-26 campaign.

The 36-year-old has spent the latter part of his career bouncing around the NBA. He has played with five different teams since being traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019.

The Nuggets signed Westbrook to a two-year, $6.8 million contract in July 2024 after he was waived by the Utah Jazz. He was brought in to give length off the bench after Denver lost Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.

Westbrook fit in nicely playing alongside Nikola Jokić, who reportedly pushed the Nuggets to add him, and Jamal Murray. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game in 75 appearances.

This was Westbrook's most efficient shooting season of his career. He had a 50.5 effective field-goal percentage, marking his first time over 50.0 percent in 17 NBA seasons.

Given how reluctant Denver's ownership has been to spend deep into the tax for multiple years in a row to avoid increased penalties, it's harder to build a roster of depth with stars such as Jokić and Murray on max contracts.

There's always the chance Westbrook decides to return to the Nuggets since they might offer him the best shot at competing for titles late in his career, but other teams might be willing to offer him more money coming off a good season.