Russell Westbrook opted out of his player option with the Denver Nuggets.
Calls Mount for Russell Westbrook to Join Former Team After Blockbuster News originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Russell Westbrook surprised many by declining his $3.47 million player option with the Denver Nuggets, officially entering unrestricted free agency on June 30. Last season with Denver, he averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds over 75 games, even starting 36 times—his most since 2021-22.
In his first year with the Nuggets, Westbrook helped guide the team to the Western Conference semifinals, where they ultimately fell in seven games to his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder—who went on to win the championship. Despite battling a fractured right hand late in the season, Westbrook played through the setback but was unable to impact the series as Denver would have hoped.
With his free agency now underway, speculation has swirled around Westbrook's landing spot. However, recent developments in the Western Conference have refocused attention on his first team.
ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed that Chris Paul will return to the Los Angeles Clippers days after it was reported that Damian Lillard opted to rejoin the Portland Trail Blazers. That news prompted fans on social media and discussion boards to push for a reunion between Westbrook and OKC. Many point to his strong history with the Thunder—where he spent 11 seasons, earned MVP honors, and made multiple deep playoff runs.
Dame back to Portland
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 21, 2025
CP3 back to the Clippers…
….Why Not? 👀 pic.twitter.com/s07n23OV0Q
“WHY NOT?! Russ deserves one last shot at a ring with Thunder,” a fan wrote.
“Russ and OKC reunion would be nuts 😭,” another fan added.
“That would be amazing … then he could finally get the ring he deserves when okc repeats,” another fan said.
“Westbrook coming back to the Thunder to win a chip would be generational,” one fan posted.
“This would actually be so elite. plz make it happen Russ and thunder,” another fan remarked.
Since leaving OKC, Westbrook has suited up for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers (his longest post-Thunder stint), Clippers, and most recently the Nuggets.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
