Nuggets’ Russell Westbrook Undergoing Surgery On Broken Hand; Future Murky

Westbrook, 36, said he intends to be back “soon,” though he offered no specific details beyond that. For the record, he also offered no specifics on whether he intends to pick up the team option on his contract and return to Denver, though many suspect he’ll do just that.

If he does, there’s a chance the Nuggets could look to move him. In other words, Westbrook’s future in Denver is just as murky as it’s been everywhere else over the past three or four seasons. He’s set to earn the veteran’s minimum should he indeed pick up the option.

For all the grief that Westbrook takes on social media, he remained a determined and sometimes productive player in reserve — and was fairly valuable on an otherwise younger and thinner bench.

He appeared in 75 games and compiled averages of 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in about 28 minutes a night — shooting 44.9 percent from the field, albeit just 32.3 percent on 3-pointers.

So, again, there could be a role for Westbrook back with Denver. If not there, then probably somewhere.

“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,” wrote Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.