Russell Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz by the Los Angeles Clippers in a deal that allowed the Clippers to land Kris Dunn. Westbrook was promptly waived by the Jazz and signed a contract with the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook reflected on his two-year sting with the Clippers, thanking everyone in the organization along with its fans.
“Thank you to Mr. Ballmer and the entire Clipper Organization for the opportunity. Clipper Nation, thank you! I had a lot of fun with you all, playing in the city I love in front of my family and friends. To all of my teammates, I thank y’all for embracing me and supporting me the past two years. To ALL of MY fans! You guys don’t know how much your support means to me. Y’all keep me motivated and energized. I’ve got the most loyal and amazing fans in sports. Looking forward to seeing y’all next season!”
We didn’t see a post like this when he left the Lakers, which shows that Westbrook isn’t as offended by how the Clippers traded him. He was expecting to be a starter on the team last season, but acquiring James Harden changed those plans. With Harden re-signing with the team this summer, Westbrook seemed surplus to requirements.
Russ averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists last season, with his Clippers’ replacement Kris Dunn putting up 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists with the Jazz. Dunn is a better fit as Harden’s backup given his defensive tenacity and ability to fit into a team’s offense.
Westbrook will hope he can have a featured role on the Nuggets’ second unit, as next season could be the 35-year-old guard’s last chance to become a champion.
Can Russell Westbrook Positively Impact The Nuggets?
Westbrook’s next move is one that has surprised many fans, as he is signing with the Nuggets on a team where the fit doesn’t seem obvious. The Nuggets have had a major talent drain over the last two seasons and lack the assets to replace outgoing players like Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Kentavious-Caldwell Pope.
While the team is hoping young stars such as Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, and Christian Braun can elevate their game to replace those players, it still doesn’t explain how they’ll fit Westbrook into this setup.
Westbrook is replacing the outgoing Reggie Jackson, who was dumped by the Nuggets to the Charlotte Hornets. Jackson had more scoring versatility as a shooter next to Nikola Jokic, with Westbrook’s lack of shooting making it tough to envision him playing alongside Jokic on the court. They already have an iffy shooter like Aaron Gordon in the starting lineup, so adding Russ would be untenable.
Hopefully, Westbrook can run the second unit with all their young stars well enough to keep the team successful in non-Jokic minutes. But expecting something like that from Russ at this point might be too much given the track record of failure that’s followed him in the last few seasons.
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