The Denver Nuggets signed former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to a two-year $6.8 million contract Friday afternoon. The nine-time all-star will be 36 this season and is still seeking his first NBA championship. Joining the Denver Nuggets gives him a great opportunity to achieve this feat.
The Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals and were bounced in the second round last season defending their title. They are among the top title contenders going into the 2024-25 NBA season. Denver is led by the three time and defending NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The addition of Russell Westbrook boosts the backcourt depth and gives them a veteran presence. Denver lost key members of their backcourt to free agency earlier this summer, with guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson going elsewhere. Westbrook is going to play a big role for the 2024-25 Nuggets.
Nuggets Get Much-Needed Veteran Guard
Ever since the Denver Nuggets won the 2023 NBA championship, they have seen key role players leave. It all started last season when Bruce Brown left in free agency. They clearly could have used Brown this past season when they got knocked out in Game 7 by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Losing Caldwell-Pope and Jackson this offseason is a big loss because two more players were important in complementing the Nuggets core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, and Michael Porter Jr. The addition of Russell Westbrook is just what Denver needed. They now have a veteran guard alongside Jamal Murray. I wouldn’t expect Russ to start, but instead for him to run the second unit.
Third-year guard Christian Braun is going to have a much bigger role than his first two seasons of coming off the bench. A starting lineup of Murray, Brown, Porter Jr., Gordon, and Jokic with Westbrook being the sixth or seventh man looks imminent. We will see how big the losses of Caldwell-Pope and Jackson are, and if Westbrook can fill that void to help Denver get back to the finals. One thing is for sure though, you can’t count out this team as long as they have a prime Nikola Jokic.
Russell Westbrook Chasing His First NBA Championship
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Russell Westbrook has had a first ballot hall of fame career. For about a decade straight, he was considered to be one of the best players in the NBA. He was selected to nine All-NBA Teams, and nine all-star games, won the 2017 NBA MVP award, was a two-time league scoring champ, a three-time league assist leader, and has the most triple-doubles in the history of the league. Statistically, he has done it all.
There is one thing he is missing on his resume. An NBA championship. Going into his 17th NBA season, it’s obvious he isn’t the same player as he was in years past. The Nuggets will be the 6th different team he has suited up for since 2019. At this point in his career, he knows he has a different role to play for team success than in years past. This was on display for the Clippers last season as he willingly accepted a role coming off the bench, and the Clippers started to play well as a team.
Russell Westbrook is one of those players that people either loved or hated when he was at the peak of his powers. He was a very polarizing figure. At this point of his career, it feels as if more fans in NBA circles have a soft spot for Westbrook. He may not be the same player or play the same role for a team, but his winning his first NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets would be a cool thing to see.
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