Nuggets suffer brutal Russell Westbrook injury blow: latest updates

Beyond Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets haven’t had many consistent bright spots this season but Russell Westbrook has definitely been one. The team signed the 36-year-old former league MVP to a veteran minimum contract in the offseason out of necessity.

Russ had fallen out of favor around the league and had a nonexistent market. The Nuggets had a roster lacking depth and talent and extremely limited assets to upgrade. The deal came together as a marriage of convenience for both sides but it has worked out better than anyone could have imagined.

Westbrook has played so well that he has usurped a role in the starting lineup from Christian Braun and had people wondering if he’s actually the Nuggets’ second-best player. But the good vibes took a pause on the ironman, Westbrook on Friday night.

Westbrook leaves game vs. 76ers with hamstring injury

In the second half of the Ngugets’ Friday night game in Philadephia, Westbrook left the game and was ultimately ruled out during the fourth quarter. The Nuggets reported that Westbrook was experiencing hamstring tightness when he left for the locker room.

Russell Westbrook is experiencing left hamstring tightness and is questionable to return according to the Nuggets.

— Cassidy Hubbarth (@CassidyHubbarth) February 1, 2025

He was initially listed as questionable but was ruled out later in the game. There has been no further update, but hamstring issues are not usually good news. These soft tissue injuries can be fickle and unpredictable and often come with a high risk of re-injury.

Russ has played in every single game this season and shockingly been one of the most reliable things the Nuggets have going for them. Losing him for an extended period of time would be a devastating blow for a Denver team that is already lacking in depth and positive energy.

Theoretically, they should be able to survive without the veteran legend, and hopefully, it won’t be an extended absence but that’s no guarantee. This may serve as a good opportunity for guys like Braun and Julian Strawther to step up and if this lingers, maybe Trey Alexander will even get elevated from the G-League for an opportunity.

We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves and start speculating, but a hamstring injury for an older player is certainly concerning. Hopefully, the Nuggets get some good news and Russ will be back soon, but if not, they are going to have a massive hole in the rotation to fill all of a sudden.