According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, The Denver Nuggets became the frontrunner to sign 16-year veteran Russell Westbrook. The source also reveals that the former All-Star and 2017 MVP is parting ways with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he served for nearly two seasons with 89 appearances. Westbrook previously had opted into his $4 million player option for the 2024-25 season in June. The Clippers are still exploring trade options for Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook’s Struggle with Clippers
Despite averaging 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game when he mostly came off the bench last season, Russell Westbrook’s tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers is marked by inconsistency and challenges. As a bench player with remaining All-Star potential, Westbrook can be productive sometimes with good sights and break-out speed. His aggressiveness in attacking the rim is always admirable in today’s NBA game. However, the biggest drawback lies in his monotonous play. The poor ball-handling and finishing, adding up with terrible turnover controlling, had downgraded his effort.
Although the tragic experience with the Los Angeles Lakers symbolized the downfall of his career, the failure to adapt to a fast-paced and shooting-oriented game trend may be the most convincing reason Westbrook has struggled on the court in recent years. Despite shooting threes at a decent 35.6% rate in all 21 appearances with the Clippers in the 2022-23 season, his shooting prowess soon faded with a devastating 27.3% last season.
His performance in the 2024 first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks was particularly concerning. After a strong Game 1, Westbrook suddenly fell short with his shooting plummeting to 19% from the field over the next five games, committing many turnovers along the way. This decline in performance highlighted the struggles he faced in maintaining his previous All-Star level of play, simultaneously implying his uncomfortable situation with the team and the possibility of leaving.
Potential Trade Details
The Los Angeles Clippers are actively seeking trade partners for Russell Westbrook, who exercised his $4 million player option just before the trade rumors began. The Nuggets have shown strong interest in acquiring Westbrook, either through direct trade or by signing him if he becomes a free agent following a buyout. Regardless of the specific trade mechanics, confidence remains high on both sides that Westbrook will join the Nuggets.
The Clippers already lost superstar Paul George in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers, prompting a new direction for the roster behind two other main pieces Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. So far, the team has added Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr., Nic Batum and Mo Bamba, solidifying its depth and accumulating confidence to run back for the title.
Westbrook’s Impact on the Denver Nuggets
We’ve seen the Denver Nuggets benefit from having veteran players in their roster when the team was pursuing the championship in the 2022-23 season. Though Russell Westbrook’s worrying skillset and flexibility to change his game, there’s no doubt about his dynamics on the court and passions conveyed to other teammates.
A source tells that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had expressed his favor of playing with Westbrook. The Clippers’ beat writer Joey Linn was told that DeAndre Jordan had also pushed to bring Westbrook to Denver behind the scenes. Teams will still be favorable to adding him to the locker room for building up positive chemistry and solidifying morale.
Also, adding Westbrook to the outfield would be practical for the Nuggets. The team is urging to sign an experienced guard after losing two guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson. Head coach Michael Malone has emphasized the importance of having another point guard to support Jamal Murray and relieve some of the playmaking pressure on Nikola Jokic. Westbrook’s ability to apply rim pressure, with his playmaking experience being shown in his 8.1 average assists of his career thus far, make him a valuable asset for the Nuggets.
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