The long-anticipated and often-discussed potential trade has finally become a reality! Former NBA MVP, Russell Westbrook, has officially signed with the Denver Nuggets and will join Nikola Jokić next season.
Westbrook arrives in Colorado as part of a trade in which the Los Angeles Clippers sent cash and swapped second-round picks with Utah. After that, Westbrook terminated his contract with the Jazz and immediately signed with the Nuggets.
The Denver Nuggets, who won the NBA championship in the 2022/23 season under Nikola Jokić’s leadership, faced the departure of several key players. It was expected that the team would need reinforcements for the upcoming season, and now it is clear that Russell Westbrook is the major addition they were seeking.
The experienced point guard, now 35 years old, entered the league in 2008 when he was selected as the fourth pick by Seattle. He spent the majority of his career in Oklahoma, where he played for 11 years before moving to Houston in 2019. After that, he wore the jerseys of Washington, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Clippers. Westbrook has been an All-Star nine times, most recently in 2020, and was the NBA MVP in 2017. He has also been the league’s top scorer twice and the top assist provider three times.
The first reinforcement for Denver for the upcoming season was rookie DaRon Holmes, selected as the 22nd pick, and it is expected that last year’s rookie Julian Strawther will get more playing time, as well as Peyton Watson.
There is no doubt that Russell Westbrook’s arrival will bring additional energy and experience to the Denver Nuggets, who have ambitions to win the championship title again.