NBA free agent Russell Westbrook reacted to his former Denver Nuggets teammate's news.
Russell Westbrook Reacts to Nikola Jokic News Amid NBA Free Agency originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
While Russell Westbrook is no longer the perennial MVP candidate he was in his prime, the 17-year NBA veteran remains a productive player at 36 years old. Coming off a season in which he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 75 games for the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook declined his $3.4 million player option for 2025-26 to become a free agent.
Free agency has moved slowly for Westbrook. Despite his productive 2024-25 campaign, the nine-time NBA All-Star has seen veteran guards like Chris Paul, D'Angelo Russell, Dennis Schroder, Marcus Smart, and even the injured Damian Lillard find new deals before him.
While he complemented Nikola Jokic well last season, a return to Denver seems unlikely for Westbrook. The Nuggets have already acquired both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown this offseason, leaving little room in their second unit backcourt for another guard.
Despite this, fans took notice of Westbrook's recent social media activity, causing some to believe the door may not be closed on a return to Denver for the 2017 league MVP. On Sunday, Jokic was seen celebrating some personal news. A horse-racing enthusiast, Jokic was brought to tears as one of his horses crossed the finish line this weekend.
Reacting to this viral clip, Westbrook liked the post. This was noticed by fans on social media.
Russ liked Jokic winning a Horse race 😢 pic.twitter.com/4gQEiwWlNq
— Russ' TD ⚡ (@RussFcb) July 27, 2025
While a liked post on Instagram certainly does not indicate where Westbrook will play his 18th NBA season, it does suggest he remains supportive of Jokic even if the two only end up being teammates for one year.
The NBA's all-time triple-double leader, Westbrook owns career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists.
Related: Ben Simmons’ NBA Future Receives Update After Russell Westbrook Report
Related: Nikola Jokic Was In Tears After Big Personal Moment
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
