Russell Westbrook has officially become a free agent after a turbulent conclusion to his tenure with the Denver Nuggets-an exit that coincided with significant internal upheaval following the exit of Michael Malone.
The 36-year-old guard posted solid numbers during the 2024/25 season, averaging 13.3 points across 75 games. However, despite his statistical contributions, he reportedly became a divisive issue that played a part in the decision to part ways with Malone and their general manager, Calvin Booth.
According to reporting from The Athletic, Westbrook “might have been the biggest lightning rod” behind the breakdown of relationships within the Nuggets‘ leadership.
Tensions reportedly escalated over what some within the organization viewed as preferential treatment of the nine-time NBA All Star, amid growing calls for increased playing time for their second-year guard, Jalen Pickett.
However, Malone, who led the team to the famous NBA Finals win in the 2022/23 season, seemingly showed reliance on Westbrook despite concerns about his impact, including off-court as he reportedly undermined his standing with key players.
“All the while, Malone’s choice to continue supporting Westbrook,” said Sam Amick and Tony Jones to The Athletic. “Despite the frustration he was causing on and off the floor, led to a loss of credibility among the team’s key players.
“It was one thing when Malone handled (Nikola) Joki and (Jamal) Murray with more leniency than the rest of their group, but affording Westbrook that sort of treatment, even with his Hall of Fame credentials, wasn’t received well by some.”
This internal discord appeared to reach a critical point after the 2017 MVP made costly mistakes late in a key loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, a defeat that relegated Denver to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
In the NBA Playoffs, the ex-Los Angeles Laker only got worse and averaged 13.8 points over 25.7 minutes in Denver‘s first-round series victory against the Clippers but saw a drop in both usage and effectiveness in the second round.
In the seven-game series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, whom he played for from 2009-18, he contributed only 9.9 points in 22.7 minutes per game – leaving his colleagues such as Nikola Jokic carrying him.
Now poised to join his seventh team, Westbrook continues a nomadic chapter in the twilight of his career. Since leaving Oklahoma, he has not stayed with any team for more than two full campaigns. The Nuggets, it seems, will be no exception.
David Adelman sets tone for Nuggets in NBA offseason
With the exits of Malone and Booth, the Nuggets are entering a critical phase of transition under their new head coach, David Adelman, who is leading offseason preparations with a clear priority: Rebuilding the team’s depth and consistency.
Denver’s bench has gradually thinned in recent seasons, and Adelman is focused on maximizing the potential of the existing roster as he emphasized that long-term team success hinges on both depth and trust.
“I think it’s a balance,” Adelman told KDVR. “Like most things in life, it’s yes, I want to see progression, but I also really want to win games.
“We have people in this building that are more than capable of creating the depth that we need.
“It’s also me creating a different kind of relationship with these players. The trust goes both ways.”
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