Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Patrick Beverley Reacts to Nuggets' Russell Westbrook Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Russell Westbrook is still an NBA free agent. Declining his player option with the Denver Nuggets for next season, Westbrook hit the open market where he has yet to find a new team.
When the news surfaced that Westbrook would be opting out, a return to Denver seemingly remained possible. The nine-time All-Star appeared in 75 games (36 starts) for the Nuggets last season, averaging 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
However, recent moves by the Nuggets have made it clear Westbrook will almost certainly not be returning. Denver has reinforced its bench backcourt with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown (via ESPN's Shams Charania).
During the latest episode of his Pat Bev Podcast for Barstool, former NBA guard Patrick Beverley was asked about the moves Denver has made this offseason. More specifically, Beverley was asked by Adam "Rone" Ferrone about the Nuggets moving away from Westbrook.
"That move is gonna have them getting off of Russ," Rone said of Denver bringing in Bruce Brown. "The Kings are making a really big push for Russ. But that leaves a divot in their backup point guard rotation."
Reacting to Denver moving away from Westbrook in favor of other reserve guards, Beverley said, "When you add some shooting around [Nikola Jokic] like they have with Tim Hardaway Jr., they added Bruce Brown back... I think Tim Hardaway Jr. is gonna light that [expletive] up."
Beverley and Westbrook have a complicated history. Prior to teaming up on the Los Angeles Lakers, the two had an ongoing feud that dated back to 2013 when Beverley injured Westbrook in the NBA Playoffs. They publicly squashed their beef upon joining forces on the Lakers, and have since been friendly with each other.
While Beverley has often spoken highly of Westbrook, the former All-Defensive guard thinks Denver was smart to bring in more shooting around Jokic.
Related: NBA Fans Bracing for Russell Westbrook's Retirement After New Report
Related: Steph Curry's Message to LeBron James Turns Heads After Warriors-Lakers Trade Report
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
