East Contender Joins Free Agency Pursuit of Nuggets' Russell Westbrook

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Nathaniel Holloway | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 5:08 PM ET

It has been an interesting offseason for the Denver Nuggets thus far as they try to upgrade their roster and compete for another championship next season.

Denver started the offseason by naming interim head coach David Adelman as their new head coach and they then promoted Ben Tenzer and hired Jon Wallace in new front office roles.

While the 2025 NBA Draft took place last week, Denver’s focus has remained on free agency and the trade market as they did not hold a pick in the draft.

Now with free agency officially beginning on Monday, the Nuggets have some key decisions to make regarding their roster as they continue to build around Nikola Jokic to chase a title next season.

Of course, the main headline for Denver entering free agency is whether they will keep Russell Westbrook, who is an unrestricted free agent.

While the Nuggets are still reportedly interested in bringing him back, a contender from the Eastern Conference emerged as a potential landing spot for the former MVP on Monday.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the New York Knicks are expected to show interest in Westbrook during free agency.

“Add the (New Orleans) Pelicans, Knicks and (Minnesota) Timberwolves to the ever-growing list of teams said to be in the market for veteran guards,” Stein wrote. “The Knicks, in fact, are said to be a possible destination — in addition to Sacramento (Kings) and a potential return to Denver — for Russell Westbrook.”

The Knicks are expected to show interest in Russell Westbrook, per @TheSteinLine

“Add the Pelicans, Knicks and Timberwolves to the ever-growing list of teams said to be in the market for veteran guards. The Knicks, in fact, are said to be a possible destination — in addition to… pic.twitter.com/f1laglsKP7
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 30, 2025

Westbrook is coming off a bounce back season last year in Denver after disappointing seasons with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

New York is looking to upgrade their bench this summer and there is no doubt that Westbrook would bring a spark to the second unit, especially on the offensive end.

Despite this, there are expected to be many teams interested in signing Westbrook this summer, including a possible return to Denver next season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: