Things did not work out in Los Angeles the way that the Lakers had hoped when they swung a deal with the Washington Wizards to acquire veteran point guard Russell Westbrook as his time with the Purple and Gold was remembered more for the criticism that the veteran guard, and front office, received due to his inconsistent play on the hardwood.
Fast forward two years and Westbrook appears to be on his way to wearing out his welcome in another NBA city as the future Hall of Fame point guard found himself on the bench during crunch time in Denver's victory over the Sacramento Kings earlier this week. Per Sam Amick and Tony Jones of The Athletic, Westbrook's future with the organization is anything but certain despite the fact the former UCLA Bruins standout owns a small player option for the 2025-26 season.
"In Wednesday night’s 124-116 win over the Sacramento Kings, Adelman benched Westbrook down the stretch of the fourth quarter, choosing instead to close with [Jalen] Pickett. Westbrook has a player option worth $3.4 million to return to the Nuggets next season, but league sources say his future with the organization is uncertain."
When you take into consideration that one of Westbrook's biggest supporters, former head coach Michael Malone, is no longer with the organization, there are no guarantees that whoever comes in on a full-time basis to lead the team on the sidelines, or whoever replaces Calvin Booth as the team's GM, will hold Westbrook to the same regard as the old guard did.
To this point in the season, Westbrook has made 73 appearances for Denver and owns averages of 13.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game. However, his shooting numbers leave a bit to be desired as the veteran guard is only converting on 44% of his attempts from the field and 32% of his attempts from behind the arc.
Should this be the final hurrah for Westbrook with the Nuggets, the question of where he could possibly land next is as uncertain as anything at this point in time. The market for a point guard who will be 37 years old by the time the 2025-26 season tips off likely won't be that large when Westbrook's game is largely built off of athleticism.
If Westbrook cannot quickly figure out how to be a contributor for Denver, he can likely kiss whatever chances he has of being a meaningful piece of the puzzle for a title contender goodbye. If anything, the former MVP could be forced to play for something close to the veteran minimum if he decides to chase a ring before his professional career winds down.