After the Los Angeles Clippers and the Utah Jazz agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that sent Westbrook to Utah, the latter star was waived by the team and went on to sign a deal with the Denver Nuggets, which sees him in tandem with four-time MVP Nikola Jokic and sharpshooter Jamal Murray. The 2023 NBA champions are expected to make a sweeping run next season with the hopes of securing its second league title.

The Los Angeles Clippers have received Kris Dunn in the trade, with the latter agreeing to a three-year, $17 million deal with a team option in the third year. On the other hand, Utah receives the 2030 second-round pick swap, and the rights to center Balsa Koprivica, who was drafted by the Clippers with the 57th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Jazz has also provided the team with a $4.3 million cash compensation to add to the trade.

Westbrook gets a fresh reset with the Nuggets in the 2024-25 season, where he is expected to play on the backup role for the team off the bench. He teams up with a promising star in Nikola Jokic, who is coming off an MVP campaign in the previous season after a massive run.

A New Groove for Westbrook

Westbrook came off with his career-low averages in the 2023-24 season, with a stat line of 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He still shot 45.4% from the field, which notes a promising touch of consistency in his game, but his reduced role in the game has definitely impacted his overall play over the years since moving to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Westbrook took a pay cut in the previous seasons with the hopes of helping the Clippers secure James Harden for long term. But after their first-round exit in the 2024 Playoffs and Paul George’s move to the Philadelphia 76ers, it seems that it was all for nothing even after Westbrook opted into his $4 million contract last month.

In his peak, Westbrook was a promising star in the game, and he holds the record for most triple-doubles in the game with 199, and he can definitely add more to that list. He’s also had a total of four seasons where he averaged a triple-double, with three straight in Oklahoma City. His decline came in 2021 when the Lakers played him to a different role that was not suited to his skill set, which hampered his overall game that led to his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2022-23 season.

The Needs for the Nuggets’ Hopeful Campaign

The Nuggets will definitely benefit having a strong point guard who can call massive plays and take off ball pressure from both Jokic and Murray. Denver has lost both of his core point guards in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson, who both left for different teams in free agency.

"I think we need some help in the backcourt," Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said. "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."

After a Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Semifinals, it does seem that the Nuggets need some veteran presence in the game with the hopes of bringing its second championship in three years. Who knows, maybe the Nuggets can actually make the most of their chances with Westbrook now taking a bigger role as a play caller.