When a franchise attracts as many well-known veterans as the Los Angeles Lakers, it is rather common to see the players who have come and gone from the organization do their best to maximize their value on the open market.
One of the most polarizing former Lakers of recent memory is reportedly declining the player option he has with the Denver Nuggets for the 2025-26 season to enter free agency and, ideally, land a more lucrative contract.
Former Laker Russell Westbrook Reportedly Seals Offseason Fate
According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, Russell Westbrook has elected to decline his player option with the Nuggets and will enter unrestricted free agency this summer. Players will be allowed to begin negotiating with NBA teams starting at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
What makes Westbrook's situation this summer a bit more interesting than your typical veteran free agent is the reports of a massive offer from a Euroleague team potentially being on the table, should the former NBA MVP be open to taking his talents overseas.
Overseas teams aren't held to those same rules, however. This makes the timing of Westbrook's decision interesting, as just last week, there were rumors concerning Hapoel Tel Aviv making a "Godfather" contract offer in hopes of landing the point guard.
Hapoel Tel Aviv has made initial contact with former NBA All Star Russell Westbrook.
— Nemanja Žorič (@zoric_nemanja) June 4, 2025
Im told the Eurocup champions are planning to make him an offer with a salary never seen before in European basketball.
Hapoel Tel Aviv will make the jump to the EuroLeague next season after winning the 2025 installment of the EuroCup and, subsequently, earning promotion in the league's tiered system.
Adding a player of the quality of Westbrook would certainly help them make a major splash in Hapoel Tel Aviv's return to the EuroLeague. The odds are also strong that Westbrook would earn much more money from them while playing in far fewer games than he would if he were to sign with an NBA team.
The fact that he's also made over $345.8 million in career earnings, per Spotrac, is another reason why he might not be desperate to stay in the United States.
This past season, Westbrook proved he has plenty left in the tank by averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in 27.9 minutes per game. He isn't the player he once was, but the former UCLA Bruins standout can still be a major difference-maker whenever he steps on the hardwood.
The likelihood that this is an option that Westbrook actively pursues seems slim. However, crazier things have happened before during NBA free agency, so Lakers fans shouldn't be surprised if anything out of left field transpires over the coming weeks.