Nine-time NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook has exercised his $4M player option for the 2024-25 season. Rather than entering free agency, Westbrook opted to pick up his player option for next season, which keeps him with the Clippers for the time being.it was reported that the Denver Nuggets had interest in signing Westbrook with the taxpayer mid-level exception before he exercised his player option.
"If Denver moves Nnaji, that gets the Nuggets under the second apron, and they would have access to that $5.2 million taxpayer MLE," Fischer wrote. "One player the Nuggets were considering for that role wasDenver recently traded veteran point guard Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets, and are now in the market for a new backup point guard.
Even if Westbrook were to share the floor with Jokic, the two could be an effective pairing, as Westbrook could help Jokic conserve energy by relieving him of ball handling duties in their shared minutes. That said, for now Westbrook is not a free agent.Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation.