Russell Westbrook, who found redemption with the Clippers, will reportedly head to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade agreement for guard Kris Dunn that includes a second-round draft pick swap and cash. The move clears an expected path for the future Hall of Fame point guard to join the Denver Nuggets.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal.
Westbrook, who opted in to his $4 million player option for the upcoming season, is expected to agree to a buyout with the Jazz, which will enable him to eventually join the Nuggets once he clears waivers. Denver’s three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic reportedly endorsed the move to acquire Westbrook.
Westbrook, 35, averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season, all career lows, after moving to the bench behind James Harden in the rotation. The nine-time All-Star joined the Clippers in the second half of the 2022-2023 season after a tumultuous one-plus seasons with the Lakers.
After finishing out a productive season, Westbrook said he “loved” his time with the Clippers and agreed to a new two-year, $7.8 million deal that kept him alongside All-Stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the starting lineup.
Westbrook moved to the bench shortly after the Harden trade but remained a fan favorite at Crypto.com Arena.
“I’m super grateful and I appreciate our fans and their support of me since day one and supportive of just who I am and what I bring to the table,” Westbrook said in March. “So, I’m grateful and any opportunity I can, I’ll go out and play as hard as I can for the ones that’s here and the ones that are not here that are fans of mine and the fans of the Clippers.”
Even though Westbrook opted into his $4 million contract last month, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank recently had talks with Westbrook’s agent to find the right fit for the 2017 NBA MVP after George left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
The Westbrook move completes the sign-and-trade deal that brought Dunn to the Clippers earlier this month.
Dunn reportedly will sign a three-year, $17 million contract that includes a player option for the final season.
Dunn averaged 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 18.9 minutes last season for the Jazz, across 66 games (32 starts). The guard, who possesses a strong perimeter game, is expected to take over Westbrook’s role with the Clippers, playing behind Harden.
Originally Published: July 18, 2024 at 12:24 p.m.