Russell Westbrook turned back the clock during his lone season with the Denver Nuggets. In 75 games, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals on 44.9% shooting.
Westbrook finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting that season and emerged as one of the more dependable pieces in former head coach Michael Malone’s rotation. He was good enough that franchise star Nikola Jokić was actively pushing behind the scenes to bring Westbrook back, according to DNVR’s Harrison Wind.
It was therefore a surprise for many when news broke that Westbrook declined his player option to test free agency.
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Months later, the former MVP, who went on to play his 18th NBA season with the Sacramento Kings, provided clarity on why he did not re-sign with the Nuggets during the offseason.
“The truth is that they didn’t want me back,” Westbrook said after a game against Denver in November. “They told me not to [exercise my option]. I don’t go anywhere I’m not wanted” (h/t Bennett Durando of Denver Post).
Fast forward to the 2026 playoffs and the Nuggets’ decision to let Westbrook walk came back to haunt them. The sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, Ayo Dosunmu and Kyle Anderson, eliminated No. 3 seed Denver 110-98 in Game 6 on Thursday.
Nuggets Fans Blame Front Office for Not Prioritizing Russell Westbrook
For a franchise that entered the postseason with genuine championship expectations, losing in the first round was a brutal way to go out. The Nuggets were evidently missing a key enforcer like Westbrook throughout the series, and Denver fans wasted no time pointing the finger at the front office:
“Cut Russell Westbrook in favor of Bruce Brown and then got knocked out in the first round to a bunch of bench players,” one fan wrote.
“Adelman is a joke, the gm is a joke. They cut russ just out of spite,” another fan added.
“Had it all and gave it away for nothing @nuggets well deserved loss,” a third reacted.
“They told Russell Westbrook to take a hike so they could bring back Bruce Brown,” another remarked.
One fan said, “Russell Westbrook didn't get extended on a minimum… Nuggets deserve everything happening to them.”
“This what happens when you pay Christian Braun and Bruce Brown over Russell Westbrook,” another fan posted.
The frustration is not without merit. As On SI’s Joey Linn noted, Westbrook started 18 games last season when Aaron Gordon was injured, averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 52% field goal shooting and 40% from three. He was averaging 15 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench in the playoffs before fracturing his hand.
Rather than prioritize his return, the Nuggets chose to extend Christian Braun on a five-year, $125 million deal. They also brought back Bruce Brown, a player who contributed to their 2023 championship run. But both players failed to fill the void Westbrook left when it mattered the most.
Denver now heads into the offseason with plenty of questions to answer.
