According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Russell Westbrook has been traded to the Utah Jazz (again).
The Jazz are expected to buy Westbrook out, paving the way for the former MVP to join the Denver Nuggets.
TNT Sports’ Chris Haynes reported Kris Dunn will agree to a 3-year, $4 million deal with the Clippers.
Although Westbrook picked his player option to return to the Clippers, his future with the team seemed to be on somewhat tenuous ground with Marc Stein reporting on July 5 that the team was “openly exploring their trade options with Westbrook.”
After surviving the nightmare that was his time with the Los Angeles Lakers and being incessantly dogged by the media arm of Klutch Sports, Westbrook was dealt to the Utah Jazz and subsequently waived 11 days later and signed with the Clippers.
Once with the Clippers, Westbrook seemed more comfortable and looked more like the player we’d grown accustomed to seeing. In 21 appearances, all starts, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds on .489/.356/.658; his percentages from the field and downtown were the highest of his career. With injuries ravaging the Clippers, Westbrook averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 per contest.
In 2023-24 with the arrival of James Harden, Westbrook opted to move to the six-man role and averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists on .454/.273./.688 splits. His productivity in the postseason, as he played just 19.0 minutes per game and posted a mere 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists on an atrocious .260./.235/.615 splits.
Although Westbrook may not seem like a natural fit with the Nuggets, three-time MVP Nikola Jokić doesn’t share that train of thought. According to Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports, Jokíć has “pushed behind the scenes” for the Nuggets to bring Westbrook into the fold.
