Why Russell Westbrook Reportedly Opted Out of Nuggets Contract amid NBA Free Agency
Russell Westbrook decided to opt out of his contract with the Denver Nuggets and explore free agency, but the veteran point guard is still unsigned with the season approaching.
According to former NBA player Danny Green, he decided to leave Denver despite not having a specific team interested in him because of the Nuggets game plan for him this year.
"From what I heard is that they were not planning to play him at all this year, even behind certain guys that he should be above," Green said on his podcast, Inside the Green Room.
Westbrook is coming off a decent season in which he put up 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, mostly coming off the bench. Had he opted into his contract, he would've made $3.5 million during the 2025-26 season before hitting free agency next year.
There were a handful of teams in need of a point guard this offseason, and Westbrook's name was in the mix for the majority of those teams, but now the season is just a few weeks away, and it's unclear who he'll play for, if anyone.
The most recent team linked to Westbrook was the Sacramento Kings, though NBA insider Jake Fischer noted last month that there was "no indication" that the release of Terence Davis was a step toward signing Westbrook.
The easy route for Westbrook would have been to stay with the Nuggets and earn an easy paycheck without having to do much, but it likely would have been tough for a competitor like him to sit on the bench without having a role on the court.
From Denver's perspective, it makes sense why the Nuggets preferred to use some of their younger players in Westbrook's role. While Westbrook was a solid contributor, he would have been taking up minutes that could have gone to a player Denver is hoping to develop for the future.
Even if Westbrook is not on a team on opening night, injuries and other factors will inevitably leave teams in need of a point guard, and Westbrook will be ready for any calls that come his way.
