Clippers trade Russell Westbrook to Jazz, expected to sign with Nuggets upon clearing waivers

Clippers trade Russell Westbrook to Jazz, expected to sign with Nuggets upon clearing waivers

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially traded veteran guard Russell Westbrook, a second-round pick swap and cash to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade agreement with guard Kris Dunn, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report Thursday.

According to Jazz reporter Tony Jones of The Athletic, the second-round pick swap will be in 2030.

Westbrook is expected to agree on a contract buyout with the Jazz, clearing the way for him to eventually join the Denver Nuggets after clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/ld4gsMPUhl

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2024

League sources: The Jazz/Clippers second round swap will be in the year 2030

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 18, 2024

It was reported on July 1 that Dunn would sign with the Clippers, but would explore sign-and-trade options, which hadn’t become official until Thursday. Dunn’s new deal will reportedly be for three years, $17 million, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

B/R Sources: Kris Dunn and Clippers have agreed to a three-year, $17 million deal that will turn into a sign-and-trade for Russell Westbrook. https://t.co/HbZX6Krvyc

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 18, 2024

Additionally, Wojnarowski notes that Westbrook, 35, will reach a buyout with the Jazz and plans to sign with the Denver Nuggets, who have had reported interest in Westbrook since the start of free agency.

Interestingly enough, this marks the second time that he was traded to–and subsequently bought–by the Jazz; the first time was before he joined the Los Angeles Clippers upon being traded by the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline.

Once Russell Westbrook clears waivers, the expectation is that he’ll join the Denver Nuggets as a free agent and bring them another veteran to bolster the team’s bench and be available as a spot-starter. pic.twitter.com/HOAoYgyn59

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 18, 2024

Is Russell Westbrook The Worst MVP Winner Of All Time?

Westbrook will join a Nuggets bench that ranked No. 13 in points scored per 100 possessions with the fifth-worst field goal percentage. He averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 45.4 percent shooting and 51.4 percent true shooting, finishing in the top-7 in Sixth Man of the Year voting. It’s been an up-and-down road for Westbrook since being in Los Angeles, but now he will be playing alongside the best player on the planet in Nikola Jokic, a basketball genius.

He’s not taking a huge pay cut to play with Denver, attempting to help Denver contend for their second NBA Title in three years. He was scheduled to make $4.0 million this season, per Spotrac; his new minimum will be worth about $3.3 million, though only $2.1 million will count against the cap.

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