Inside The Wizards

Former Wizards Star Set to Hit the Open Market

One former Washington Wizards star is preparing to continue his journey around the NBA after opting out of his player option with the Denver Nuggets.
Henry Brown|
May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Russell Westbrook (4) talk a break in play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
May 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Russell Westbrook (4) talk a break in play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game one of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

Russell Westbrook's past season with the Denver Nuggets was an abject success given the position he was at in his career.

He'd endured three rocky seasons split between the two Los Angeles teams, grappling with his fading star power and resisting the late-career transition into role player status that many before him have had to reckon with. He finally bought into a system bigger than him entering the back half of his 30s, making the minimum contract he signed last summer look like a bargain by season's end.

He has a $3.4 million player option on the table should he want it, but is opting to test out free agency after a positive season of hustling and playmaking on a contending Nuggets team.

The 17-year veteran has come a long way from his days as the 2017 MVP, but his unique blend of athleticism, passing and intensity paired well with Nikola Jokic in the Denver offense. He contributed off the ball and fully accepted a sixth man role, consistently deferring to superior players and positively influencing games in the regular season and the playoffs.

It was Westbrook's best stint since 2020-21, the lone season he spent with the Washington Wizards. He helped elevate them into the playoffs for their most recent such appearance, averaging his token triple-double for his fourth and, likely, final time.

His re-upping with the cap-strung Nuggets is no longer the favored outcome of this offseason, a tough blow for a team already struggling to find enough competent NBA players to surround their own former MVP with. But Westbrook, set to test the waters of the open market, has the chance to make some money after finally stepping into this chapter of his story.

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Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

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