The Denver Nuggets are desperate to get Nikola Jokić some help. As Jokić put up another historic season, the supporting cast couldn’t quite help him enough to take the team over the hump. The Nuggets fought hard in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder but ultimately lost due to injuries and lack of depth. One injury that many didn’t know about until Tuesday morning, however, was that of Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook announced Tuesday that he had two breaks in his hand this season. He is scheduled to undergo surgery to fix these issues, but the news does raise some questions about his free agency this summer.
Right now, Westbrook is signed to a contract with the Nuggets through next season, but he does have the ability to opt out and enter the 2025 free agent market.
From the Nuggets' perspective, this Westbrook injury update raises some interesting questions. Westbrook was a polarizing player for the Nuggets last season. He helped the Nuggets win some tight games as a key rotation player, but also likely caused some losses with his erratic play and inefficient shooting.
Now, with Westbrook ready to undergo offseason hand surgery, the Nuggets are wondering what this injury update means for them.
If Westbrook opts in to his contract, the Nuggets will owe him just shy of $3.5 million next season. For a player who averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game, this seems like a steal.
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It’s unclear whether Westbrook’s hand surgery will make him more or less likely to opt in. Still, the Nuggets should keep an eye on this injury as it could affect their roster and salary cap situation for next season.
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