Russell Westbrook

Kings Rumors: Sabonis, PG Targets, Westbrook, Kuminga, LaVine

June 26th, 2025 at 12:14am CST by Luke Adams

The Kings are viewed as “open for business” this offseason and appear willing to discuss a wide variety of potential trade scenarios, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

However, while that stance suggests Sacramento wouldn’t immediately shut down inquiries on Domantas Sabonis, team and league sources tell Amick that the club has continued to “signal a commitment” to its star center.

As Amick explains, Sabonis was frustrated by how the De’Aaron Fox situation played out, but he hasn’t asked for a trade and has had positive conversations with new head of basketball operations Scott Perry about the Kings’ plans going forward.

Here’s more on the Kings:

Following up on comments he made during a radio appearance, Amick confirms the Kings had some interest in Jrue Holiday before Boston agreed to send him to Portland, but were concerned about his age and contract. Amick also notes that some of the team’s “power-brokers” were interested in pursuing Hawks guard Trae Young, but the Kings opted against it due to his offense-first style of play and his sizable contract.
Confirming that the Kings have serious interest in Dennis Schröder and are eyeing Tyus Jones, as has been previously reported, Amick says former MVP Russell Westbrook is among the other free agent point guards the front office is considering. Westbrook is on track for unrestricted free agency after declining his player option with Denver.
While Amick classifies it as a long shot, he says the Kings will be among the teams with interest in Warriors restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga this summer. Miami and Chicago have previously been mentioned as possible suitors for Kuminga, who is hoping for an increased role whether he remains in Golden State or ends up elsewhere.
Zach LaVine will become extension-eligible this offseason, but Sacramento has no plans to make a new deal for LaVine a priority, league sources tell Amick. The former Bull has one guaranteed year worth $47.5MM left on his current contract, with a $49MM player option for 2026/27.

International Notes: Micic, Westbrook, Jokubaitis, Valanciunas, Theis

June 16th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Hapoel Tel Aviv general manager George Hinas tells Vuk-Milos Petrovic of Basketball Sphere that his team remains in contention to sign Vasilije Micic, but he dismissed speculation about Russell Westbrook. While Micic is still under contract with the Suns, they’re expected to decline their $8.1MM team option for next season, making him a free agent by the end of the month. Several European clubs have expressed interest in adding the 31-year-old point guard, and Hinas rejected reports that Micic has ruled out Tel Aviv because of war concerns.

“He’s a great player, a EuroLeague legend, and one of the best ever,” Hinas said. “We spoke with him in late March and early April. We didn’t reach an agreement then, but we stayed in touch with him and his agent. What the Spanish media reported — that he rejected us because of the war — isn’t true. We continued talking. … Nothing is concrete yet. He’s one of the players we’re interested in, but so are other clubs. That’s how the offseason works — he talks to many clubs, and we talk to many players. His case is not closed. Not at all.”

Hinas called rumors about a potential deal with Westbrook “100% fake news.” Westbrook turned down his player option with the Nuggets for next season, but he’s expected to get another NBA opportunity.

“There were numbers mentioned — $50 million per year — which is crazy,” Hinas added. “I get that Hapoel Tel Aviv draws attention because we’re spending money. I counted 37 players who were linked with us. It’s good we’ll have three rosters, because when you have 37 players, it makes things easier (laughs). To be serious — it’s not true. There was no interest, and no one approached him.”

There’s more overseas news to pass along:

Knicks draft-and-stash prospect Rokas Jokubaitis could be considering a departure from Hapoel Tel Aviv due to international tensions, Petrovic adds in a separate story. Fenerbahce is reportedly interested in the 24-year-old guard, who may seek an early termination to his current contract.
Speaking at his annual camp in Lithuania, Jonas Valanciunas said he expects to remain with the Kings this season after being acquired from Washington in February, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I can make my own plans, but what the Kings decide is what matters most,” he said. “Right now, I’m planning to stay. I haven’t heard anything about being traded or moved. Until there is such information, all my focus is on Sacramento.” Valanciunas also confirmed that he will participate in this summer’s EuroBasket tournament.
Daniel Theis, who started the season with New Orleans before being traded and waived in February, will miss the rest of the French League Finals with Monaco due to knee issues, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando.

Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook To Opt Out Of Contract

June 13th, 2025 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook won’t exercise his $3.47MM player option for the 2025/26 season, league sources tell Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

Declining that option will put Westbrook on track to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He would have the opportunity at that time to either re-sign with Denver or join a new team.

Westbrook, 36, played a significant role for the Nuggets after signing with the team as a free agent during the 2024 offseason. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts) during the regular season, with a .449/.323/.661 shooting line. He also contributed 11.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, and 3.7 RPG in 13 playoff contests (24.1 MPG).

A former MVP and a nine-time All-Star, Westbrook is a polarizing player for a future Hall of Famer. He was lauded by coaches and teammates in Denver this past season for his energy, competitiveness, and leadership, and remains an excellent play-maker and an elite rebounder at his position. However, he’s also an inefficient scorer whose high-energy style often results in out-of-control plays and a high turnover rate.

Despite his flaws, Westbrook has been a great value on minimum-salary contracts in recent years after earning the maximum for much of his playing career. Since being bought out by the Jazz in 2023, he has opted for situations with the Clippers and Nuggets where he can play a major role on a team with championship aspirations. If money were more of a priority, Westbrook could likely have done better than the veteran’s minimum on the open market over the last couple seasons.

His decision to decline his option doesn’t come as a major surprise, since his $3,468,960 option was based on a 5% raise on this past season’s minimum salary. With the salary cap expected to rise by 10%, Westbrook’s new minimum projects to be $3,634,153, so even if he wants to remain with the Nuggets, opting out to sign a new contract makes sense.

It’s also worth noting that if Westbrook signs a one-year minimum-salary deal with Denver or another team, his cap hit for 2025/26 would be just $2,296,274. If he signs another one-plus-one contract that includes a second-year option, his cap charge would be equivalent to his actual salary, whether or not he earns the minimum.

Westbrook is currently recovering from a procedure to repair multiple ligament tears in his right hand.

Nuggets’ David Adelman Plans Style Changes Next Season

May 28th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

David Adelman talked about changes in philosophy and style of play at an introductory news conference Wednesday to officially make him the Nuggets‘ permanent head coach, writes Pat Graham of The Associated Press.

Adelman held the job on an interim basis after taking over when Michael Malone was fired on April 8 with three games left in the regular season. Adelman led the team to a first-round victory over the Clippers before dropping a seven-game series to the Thunder in the second round.

Players responded positively to the increased input they were able to provide under Adelman, along with the lifting of tensions that occurred with the dismissal of Malone and general manager Calvin Booth.

Looking ahead to next season, Adelman said he wants the team to get in “better shape” and he’s planning to expand the rotation beyond what Malone normally utilized. He’s looking at a slower style of play to maximize the skills of star center Nikola Jokic.

“We have to get back to being an execution-based team,” Adelman said. “If that takes away some of our pace numbers, or whatever the analytics want to say, I think that’s OK if it wins you a game in May, as opposed to playing a game in December. The majority of the time, if you want to win big, you’ve got to play slow. You’ve got to be efficient. You’ve got to be clean. So that will be things we’ll talk about throughout the summer, going to training camp.”

Graham points out that it won’t be easy to add talent to the roster because the Nuggets don’t own any picks in next month’s draft. Any significant trade would likely have to break up the current starting five, so the best avenue toward improvement will be progress from young players Julian Strawther, Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett and DaRon Holmes, who missed his entire rookie season after suffering an Achilles tear in a Summer League game.

There’s more from Denver:

Between the reduced pace and Adelman’s desire for “a premium on shot-making,” Russell Westbrook shouldn’t be part of the team next season, contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. Westbrook holds a $3.47MM player option, and Renck says the best outcome would be for him to decline it and join a team like Brooklyn that’s looking for a big name. Renck suggests using the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign free agent Tyus Jones, who would provide a steadier option as backup point guard.
Team president Josh Kroenke wants a better relationship between his coach and GM this time, so Adelman will have at least a small role in filling that position, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “DA will come into that process at some point. … But I think the input will be relatively minimal, because what I’ll be looking for is cohesion between those two (roles),” Kroenke said. “And I think that once we decide on that, I think I’ll have a lot of comfort on how they work together.” Kroenke added that he has “no news on that front” when asked about hiring an outside firm to identify potential GM candidates. He also praised interim GM Ben Tenzer for the way he’s handled the role since Booth was fired.
Adelman needs to send a strong message to Jamal Murray about coming to camp in shape and being at his best when the season starts, states Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. Murray’s four-year, $207.8MM extension will take effect next season.

Russell Westbrook Undergoes Hand Surgery

May 27th, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Luke Adams

5:45 pm: Westbrook’s right hand surgery was to repair multiple ligament tears, according to the Nuggets, Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets. He underwent the procedure today, as expected.

11:37 am: Veteran guard Russell Westbrook is undergoing surgery on his right hand on Tuesday morning, he announced today in the latest installment of his personal newsletter (hat tip to Law Murray of The Athletic).

According to Westbrook, the procedure will repair two breaks in the hand that occurred during the season. The 36-year-old doesn’t provide information on any sort of formal recovery timeline, but says he’s optimistic about being back to 100% “soon.”

Hand injuries are nothing new for Westbrook, who had surgery to repair a fracture in his right hand in 2014 and underwent procedures on his left hand in 2019 and 2024 to address ligament damage and a fracture, respectively.

Westbrook played a major role in 2024/25 for the Nuggets after signing a two-year, minimum-salary contract that features a second-year player option. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 27.9 minutes per game across 75 appearances (36 starts), with a shooting line of .449/.323/.661.

The Nuggets had a better net rating with Westbrook off the court (+8.6) than on it (-0.6), but he received positive reviews in Denver due to the energy and leadership he provided off the bench, as well as his performance filling in for injured starters (including Aaron Gordon) over the course of the season.

Westbrook will have to make a decision in the coming weeks on his $3.47MM player option in the coming weeks. His projected minimum for 2025/26 as a free agent is $3.63MM, so even if he wants to return to Denver and is willing to settle for another minimum-salary deal, it might make sense for him to opt out in order to sign a new contract.

Nuggets Notes: Depth, Porter, Tenzer, Gordon, Westbrook

May 19th, 2025 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Through two rounds of the NBA playoffs, Nuggets starters Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon ranked one through four in the NBA in total minutes played. To some extent, that was a byproduct of Denver being the only team to play two seven-game series, but those four Nuggets all averaged between 37.3 and 41.3 minutes per game during the postseason, reflecting the team’s lack of reliable depth.

“We definitely need to figure out a way to get more depth,” Jokic said the Nuggets’ Game 7 loss on Sunday, per Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It seems like the teams that have longer rotations, the longer benches, are the ones winning. You look at Indiana and OKC and Minnesota, and they have been great examples of that.”

Adding depth won’t be the easy for the Nuggets, who are hamstrung to some extent by maximum-salary contracts for Jokic, Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. Denver projects to operate in tax apron territory next season, lacks appealing trade chips, and is the only team that doesn’t have a pick in this year’s draft.

As Jones and Amick observe, it would be logical for the Nuggets to explore trading Porter, who is the most expendable of the team’s highest-paid players. Troy Renck of The Denver Post comes to the same conclusion, lauding Porter for gutting it out through a shoulder injury in the postseason but arguing that his inconsistency has become a liability for the club.

An April report indicated that Nuggets ownership has a particular fondness for Porter because he played his college ball at Missouri, the same school Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke attended. However, the prospect of trading Porter at this year’s deadline was “very much in play,” according to Jones and Amick, who note that the Nuggets gave real consideration to including him in a package for Zach LaVine earlier in the season.

We have more on the Nuggets:

It remains unclear who will be making the roster decisions in Denver this offseason, since the team fired general manager Calvin Booth near the end of the regular season. League sources tell Jones and Amick of The Athletic that the Nuggets haven’t moved forward with a search for a new general manager yet and there’s an expectation that interim GM Ben Tenzer has a chance to earn the position on a permanent basis, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported.
After playing through a hamstring strain in Game 7, Gordon told reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, that he “knew the risks” of taking the court and acknowledged that he “couldn’t sprint,” but said he was determined to give the team all he had. “There was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to play,” he said. “The only thing that made me doubt playing was the MRI. The MRI told me something worse than what I was feeling.” Interim head coach David Adelman referred to Gordon’s effort as “one of the more incredible things I’ve ever seen,” tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook was noncommittal when asked what he plans to do with his 2025/26 player option, as Benedetto relays in another tweet. Even if he wants to remain in Denver, it probably makes sense for Westbrook to turn down that $3.47MM option, since a new minimum deal would pay him $3.63MM.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks has published his Nuggets offseason preview in the form of an ESPN.com article as well as a YouTube video. There are some key extension candidates to watch in Denver this summer, according to Marks, who identifies Jokic (veteran extension) and Braun (rookie scale extension) as two players who will be eligible to sign new deals.
In case you missed it, Adelman is reportedly considered a strong candidate to have his interim tag removed and become the Nuggets’ full-time head coach.

Aaron Gordon Available For Game 7 Despite Grade 2 Hamstring Strain

May 18th, 2025 at 2:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:07 pm: Gordon has been listed as available for Game 7 (Twitter link). He’ll get the start and will attempt to play through a hamstring injury that typically takes weeks to heal, tweets Charania.

8:56 am: Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will likely prevent him from playing in today’s Game 7 at Oklahoma City, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Gordon is still hoping to be active for the series-deciding contest, but Charania hears that it’s “becoming physically improbable to do so” because he’ll need several weeks to fully recover from the injury.

Gordon, who hurt his hamstring late in Denver’s Game 6 victory, participated in Saturday’s walkthrough in hopes of receiving medical clearance, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. He is listed as questionable on the team’s official injury report and was expected to be a game-time decision.

“Obviously, (team medical staff) will do whatever they have to do for the safety of a person. But yeah, I don’t know,” interim coach David Adelman responded Saturday when asked about Gordon’s chances to play. “I’m sure the hoops (to jump through in order to play) are probably smaller because the game’s coming so quickly. It’s not a thing where he has three weeks to go through it. So it’ll probably be his comfortability along with the medical staff’s advice on what he can and can’t do. … If they say he’s available, he will start.”

Durando reports that Gordon was already dealing with the remnants of a calf strain that has been affecting him all season.

If Gordon doesn’t receive medical clearance, Durando expects either Russell Westbrook or Peyton Watson to take his place in the starting lineup. Adelman prepared for both scenarios during the walkthrough.

“You talk about plays you’re gonna run early in the game, actions to attack people. Some other guys took (Gordon’s) ball-handling responsibilities in case (he’s out),” Adelman said. “We know that’s where Aaron is so underrated and impactful, when he brings the ball up the court. So the other guys have to know those simple actions, but they’re not simple if you’ve never done them. So we walked through a lot of stuff today with different people. … But like I said, the hope is the responsibilities will be Aaron’s.”

Northwest Notes: Edwards, Westbrook, Jazz, Blazers

May 13th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Timberwolves trailing Golden State at halftime in Game 4 on Monday, a locker-room speech from Anthony Edwards helped spark a huge third-quarter turnaround, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

“I told them, ‘We only got two wins,'” Edwards told reporters after Minnesota’s Game 4 win. “I’ve never seen a series end 2-1. I told them we have to get two more wins and right now we’re playing like we already got four wins. … We had to figure it out because if we would have kept playing like that, we would have lost tonight.”

Edwards made good on his halftime speech by coming out and scoring 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the third quarter. The Timberwolves as a whole outscored the Warriors 39-17, making it the largest positive margin in a single quarter in Wolves playoff history, per McMenamin.

As Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes, the Timberwolves will need to remain cognizant of Edwards’ message and avoid getting complacent going forward in order to finish off the series. After building a big lead in the third quarter on Monday, they saw that lead whittled down to seven points in the fourth before putting the game way. As they head home for Game 5, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker spoke about a need to “understand the moment.”

“Have to be present and understand that these are situations that are pivotal,” he said. “You have a chance to close out on your home court as opposed to having to go elsewhere and try to win and then do it again and come back on the road and travel.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Nuggets had been interested in Russell Westbrook for years before signing him last summer, believing that his energy and competitiveness would be a welcome addition to the roster, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. However, the veteran guard remains a volatile personality who reportedly pouted after being taken out near the end of a first-round loss and got into a heated discussion with Aaron Gordon in the locker room after being challenged over his attitude, sources tell ESPN. According to Shelburne, the Nuggets’ chances of advancing in the playoffs and having a shot at another title could come down to which version of Westbrook they get going forward.
Even though there was nearly a 50/50 chance that the Jazz would end up at No. 5 in the draft, that outcome was still a gut-punch for fans in Utah on the heels of a 17-win season. Tony Jones of The Athletic weighs what’s next for the Jazz after a disappointing lottery night, suggesting that the team should still land a promising young building block at No. 5. But since that player likely won’t make an immediate impact on winning as a rookie, Utah could be back in this position in 2026, hoping for better lottery luck.
Keith Smith of Spotrac previews the coming offseason in Portland, evaluating the Trail Blazers‘ top trade candidates and considering what a rookie scale extension might look like for Shaedon Sharpe (Smith projects $112MM over four years).

Thunder Notes: Bench, Dort, Murray, Closing Out, Lottery

May 12th, 2025 at 8:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder‘s deep bench shined through in Game 4 on Sunday as they tied the series with the Nuggets with a 92-87 victory. Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins had 11 points apiece and Alex Caruso supplied 10. The five reserves that coach Mark Daigneault utilized also combined for 16 rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Denver used three subs and only one — Russell Westbrook — played extended minutes. He shot 2-for-12 from the field.

“It’s never, like, ‘I wonder what we should do now,’” Daigneault said, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. “It’s always frameworks that we work through during the seasons. We have a pretty good understanding of frameworks of lineups, frameworks of rotations, different levers we can pull. We’re not just throwing stuff against the wall in the highest stakes games.”

We have more on the Thunder:

Luguentz Dort had a rough outing, shooting 2-for-10 from the field, all beyond the three-point arc. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter. Dort has struggled with his shooting in road playoff games, Lorenzi notes, but the head coach isn’t fretting. “I definitely trust the body of work over time more than small sample sizes,” Daigneault said. “If the question is whether or not I’m confident in his three-point shooting, I am. He’s the last guy I’m worried about. We also have a deep team.”
Dort, of course, is more noted for his defensive work. The Nuggets have tried to use hard screens to dislodge him from guard Jamal Murray. “It’s been like that all year; it’s not just Denver,” Dort told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “I know I’m a good defender and disturb a lot of (opposing teams’) main guys. Whenever I’m off their main guy’s body, it’s good for them.”
The Thunder lost by two points in the series opener and overtime in Game 3. Pulling out a five-point win in Game 4 shows that they’re getting better at closing out tight contests in the postseason. “Every time you take punches and you get back up, you get stronger,” Daigneault said, according to ESPN News Services. “That’s what we’re preaching to our team. We lost a tough one the other night in overtime. We stood back up (Sunday).”
Thanks to Philadelphia’s lottery luck, moving up to the top three, the Thunder won’t have a lottery pick. The first-rounder the Sixers owe them will be top-four protected next year.

Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Jokic, Starters, Physicality, Westbrook

May 8th, 2025 at 1:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic fouled out in the third quarter for the first time in his career during Wednesday’s Game 2 in Oklahoma City. Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon is frustrated by the way Jokic is being officiated, writes Troy Renck of The Denver Post.

“They are calling the second foul almost all of the time. They are fouling Joker first,” Gordon said. “You know Jok is reactionary and they do get the second guy a lot of the times. But they are fouling him throughout the game — point blank. Period. And it’s a thing you can’t call every foul because you would be calling a foul every single play. But they are fouling him. They are a handsy team.”

As Renck notes, no one on the Nuggets blamed the officials for Wednesday’s lopsided defeat. But Jokic has now accumulated 11 fouls in two games against a physical Thunder team, and that will be an important trend to monitor for the remainder of the second-round series.

“You can (help him), but if they are going to let them push him and shove him, like two hands on him, root him out, (use) the knee, elbows, all types of stuff that they are doing to him that is not necessarily legal, then, there’s not much you can do,” Gordon said. “Jok has gotta play through it. If they are not going to call it, they are not calling it. We can help hit them. But they are fouling the guy.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Denver was thoroughly dismantled on Wednesday and trailed by 31 points at halftime. After the game, interim head coach David Adelman explained why he played the starters in the third quarter with the contest seemingly out of reach. “I felt like we needed to find a rhythm, a physicality,” Adelman said, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I think that (Oklahoma City) thought that we were trying to junk up the game, which we weren’t. We were just trying to play much harder than we did in the first half. Obviously, when (Jokic) fouled out, (we) got them all out with about a minute left (in the third quarter). They got to sit the whole (fourth) quarter. They get to sit tomorrow. All day Friday. And get ready for Friday night. So no, I was not just gonna sit the guys at halftime. That’s not what we’re doing here.”
In order for the Nuggets to rebound from Wednesday’s humiliating defeat and take a 2-1 lead in Friday’s Game 3, they will have to match the Thunder’s physicality, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic. “We got punked,” Adelman said. “And we allowed ourselves to get punked. We didn’t play well enough at any point, and we have to realize that this is a team that can separate from other teams. There’s a reason this team has a historic plus/minus. We need a better start than that. We need to be better than that. We can say the series is tied 1-1, but we aren’t going to flush that. That’s not what this game was. We’ll have to look at what they did and how we responded, and I would expect a much better effort than that on Friday night.” Renck of The Denver Post also believes the Nuggets need to play more forcefully against the top-seeded Thunder.
Russell Westbrook‘s game is polarizing, but the Nuggets “would be a mess” without him in these playoffs, Renck contends. Westbrook, who assisted Gordon’s game-winning three in the series opener, is averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal on .451/.375/.719 shooting through eight postseason games (25.6 minutes per contest).

Load More Posts