In major news in the basketball world, Los Angeles Clippers star Russell Westbrook was traded to the Utah Jazz as a part of a sign-and-trade where he will eventually be bought out, expected to clear waivers, and join the Denver Nuggets according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. To some fans that follow the NBA, it could sound familiar and experience deja vu and you would totally be valid in feeling that way since the same happened when Westbrook was on the Los Angeles Lakers.
It happened last year in February where the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Jazz in a three-team trade that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. 12 days later, Westbrook and the Jazz reached an agreement on a buyout which led to the star point guard joining the Clippers alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The likely reason why the Clippers, Lakers traded Westbrook to Jazz
Before talking about the fit with both Los Angeles squads, fast forward to the present where a Los Angeles team is trading Westbrook once again to the Jazz, this time where Kendrick Nunn joins the Clippers. It is expected that once again, the Jazz will reach a buyout agreement with the Westbrook where he plans to join the Nuggets.
The question is, why the Jazz again? Well, it is most likely the reason of cap flexibility where the Jazz can take Westbrook's contract, which in this case would be a three-year deal since the new NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement permits it. But then they could buy out the rest of the contract so Westbrook could go to waivers where he is expected to clear them and join Denver.
As for the fits of both Los Angeles team, it just seemed to be doomed from the start with his time with the Lakers as he joined a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis who are heavy ball handlers, especially the former, but that is also Westbrook's skill set. With James being the focal point, Westbrook became a supporting piece that can not be a shooter which is what the team needed, so he came off the bench which caused friction and then the likely divorce.
Russell Westbrook's stint with the Clippers fell short
It was not the same way as the Lakers, but it was sort of a similar situation with the Clippers where he was expected to be the point guard and help out Leonard and George, but then the team traded for star James Harden. With that, Westbrook's role was diminished, once again relegating him to the bench where he became the sixth man.
The team would do fine, but this offseason, the Clippers couldn't retain George which could have likely been an avenue for Westbrook to leave, even though he exercised his $4 million player option last month. He will now join a Nuggets team that does need depth in their back court after losing such players as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson to free agency, even admitted by Denver general manager Calvin Booth this week.
“I think we need some help in the backcourt,” Nuggets general manager in Booth said to ”Altitude TV” on Tuesday. “We are going to try to continue to identify that and survey the market. We have a roster spot left and I think if we can add a high-level guard, we will be happy with that.”
Last season, Westbrook averaged 11.1 points (the lowest of his career), 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists (lowest of career) per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from deep. He will look to bring a boost to the Nuggets who won the NBA Finals in 2023, but lost in the semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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