Russell Westbrook declines player option with Nuggets, will become free agent: Report
Russell Westbrook has declined his player option for next season with the Denver Nuggets, and will become an unrestricted free agent on June 30, according to Marc Stein. Westbrook's player option was worth $3.5 million.
The nine-time All-Star spent just one season with the Nuggets, playing in 75 games and averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
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The 36-year-old Westbrook is six seasons removed from his last All-Star nod, and won league MVP in 2017. Since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 2018-19 season, Westbrook has bounced around the league, from Houston, to Washington, to Los Angeles and most recently Denver.
This breaking news story will be updated.
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USA Today
25 minutes ago
- USA Today
NBA Finals Game 4 winners and losers: Caruso's complete game; Mathurin's costly minute
NBA Finals Game 4 winners and losers: Caruso's complete game; Mathurin's costly minute Show Caption Hide Caption Mark Daigneault on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 4: 'He's unreal' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for leading OKC's fourth-quarter rally against the Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder can do comebacks, too. After erasing a seven-point lead to start the fourth quarter, the Thunder evened up the NBA Finals with a 111-104 victory Friday, June 13, in Game 4. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, did not record a single assist, but he did drop 35 points, including 15 of the last 16 points of the game. Jalen Williams added 27 and Chet Holmgren posted 14 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points, though he did not score in the fourth quarter and took just a single shot in the period. Here are the winners and losers from Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder: WINNERS The MVP shows up in the clutch Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points in the fourth quarter ‒ all inside the final 4:38. The Thunder unlocked a way for Gilgeous-Alexander to get going, targeting Aaron Nesmith on switches off of pick-and-rolls, shedding Andrew Nembhard off of him. ANALYSIS: Tyrese Haliburton NBA postseason heroics renew debate. Does 'clutch' play exist? Gilgeous-Alexander got to the line eight times in the fourth, and he didn't play rushed — he found his spots and executed. This night, if the Thunder go on to win the Finals, could be a legacy-establishing performance for the 26-year-old. 'He's unreal,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. Alex Caruso He's known for his defense, but Thunder guard Alex Caruso erupted for 20 points on a hyper-efficient 7-of-9 (77.8%) night. When Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling to find buckets, Caruso lifted Oklahoma City, cutting to the basket, working the baseline for easy looks and finishing with floaters and Euro steps. Yet, as always, Caruso was also a menace on the other end, finishing with a team-high five steals. 'I want to win,' Caruso said. 'I don't care if it's pickup in September before training camp. I don't care if it's Game 45, 50, before All-Star break. If it's the Finals and you're down 2-1, I want to win. That's what I'm focused on.' Obi Toppin provides a spark off the bench The Pacers seem to get a huge boost from at least one player off the bench each game. Friday night it was Obi Toppin, who was the only Pacer to shoot better than 50% from the floor. He scored 17 on 7-of-12 from the field and also scooped seven rebounds. Jalen Williams stays aggressive, stacks great games Over the past two games, Jalen Wiliams has 53 points and 13 rebounds. A 23-year-old first-time All-Star, Williams is blossoming into a steady and reliable star. And, when Gilgeous-Alexander was struggling early to get going, Williams was hot, scoring 16 points in the first half. Williams was aggressive throughout, marked by his team-high 11 free throw attempts, which he converted. LOSERS The team known for comebacks can't finish They became known for frenetic, improbable comebacks, but Friday night, it was the Pacers who could not finish. Holding a seven-point lead entering the fourth quarter, the Pacers let the Thunder end the game on a 12-1 run. They missed all but one of their last seven shot attempts and their final five. They were outscored in the fourth quarter by 14, a 31-17 margin. Indiana did not make a single 3-pointer in the period. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 20 points and was hot early. Indiana went away from him, and he took just one shot in the fourth quarter. Coach Rick Carlisle said the offense 'got stagnant.' He wasn't wrong. The ball stopped moving as much, as the Pacers recorded just a single assist in the fourth, after they had dished out 20 in the first three quarters. 'I've got to do a much better job of keeping pace in the game,' Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. Bennedict Mathurin's final minute This was not why Indiana lost the game, but Bennedict Mathurin's final minute on the floor was brutal. Subbed in with 44 seconds left after Nesmith fouled out, Mathurin missed three free throws — after converting 88.9% previously in the playoffs — but also committed two away-from-the-play fouls before the ball was even inbounded, gifting Oklahoma City free throws and possession. The Pacers can't clear the glass Part of the reason the Pacers collapsed in the final frame was because it allowed Oklahoma City to outwork them on the boards. Overall, Indiana lost the rebounding battle by a sizable margin, 43-33. But the fourth quarter was particularly debilitating. The Pacers were outrebounded 12-4 in the period, and 4-1 on the offensive glass. That prevented Indiana from sprinting out in transition and led to the stagnancy in the halfcourt.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA Finals: Thunder ride Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Game 4 comeback
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (C) takes a shot during against the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Photo by Brian Spurlock/EPA-EFE June 14 (UPI) -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of the Oklahoma City Thunder's final 16 points to pilot a vicious rally and upend the Indiana Pacers on Friday in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, tying the best-of-seven game series 2-2. "It always starts with stops for us," Gilgeous-Alexander said on the ABC broadcast. "We've gotta figure out a way to string them together for a 48-minute game, but we did enough to get a W tonight." Advertisement The NBA MVP totaled 35 points to help the Thunder overcome a 10-point deficit and secure the 111-104 victory in Indianapolis. Gilgeous-Alexander's efforts helped the Thunder overcome a poor outside shooting performance, which included just three made 3-pointers. The Thunder trailed by seven points with about 11 minutes remaining in Game 4. They ended the contest on a 12-1 run over the final three minutes. Jalen Williams poured in 27 points. Fellow Thunder forward Chet Holmgren totaled 14 points and 15 rebounds. Veteran guard Alex Caruso chipped in 20 off the bench. The Thunder will host the Pacers in Game 5 on Monday in Oklahoma City. Advertisement "We knew when we woke up this morning, 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We played with desperation to end the game, that's why we won. "We are going to try to maintain the same desperation going into Game 5 and Game 6, whatever it may be." Pacers players pried into dribbles and clogged the court like rush hour traffic to rattle the Thunder early on. Because of their sour shooting, the Thunder worked mostly inside and logged 16 of their 34 first-quarter points in the paint. Williams led the way with a dozen points over the first dozen minutes, but the Pacers carried a 35-34 edge into the second quarter. Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin hit a 3-pointer 10 seconds into the frame, but the Thunder roared back with a 9-2 run for a 51-45 advantage. The Pacers ended the quarter with a 12-4 surge for a 60-57 lead at the break. Advertisement Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first half. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam netted 14 points. The Thunder were 0 of 6 from 3-point range in the second quarter. The Thunder tied the score early in the third quarter and kept the game tight until the Pacers heated up again from outside. They outscored the Thunder 27-23 in the frame to carry an 86-76 lead into the fourth quarter. The Thunder's shooting skid included a streak of 10-consecutive missed 3-pointers. The Thunder then used a 7-0 run to tie the score early on in the final frame. The Pacers pushed their lead back to two possessions, but the Thunder continued to respond behind the MVP. Advertisement Gilgeous-Alexander hit a rare 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one with 2:58 remaining. He made a jump shot on the next possession for the Thunder's first lead of the second half. The All-NBA floor general continued to attack the Pacers defense in crunch time, snatching momentum from the home team and lifting the Thunder back into the series. The Pacers missed their final five shots as part of their Game 4 collapse. Siakam totaled 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in the brutal setback. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton totaled 18 points and seven assists. Forward Obi Toppin scored 17 off the Pacers bench, including 10 in the second half. Game 5 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. EDT Monday in Oklahoma City.
30 minutes ago
The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 111-104 in Game 4 to tie the NBA Finals
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 111-104 in Game 4 to tie the NBA Finals.
