The Denver Nuggets will end up with Russell Westbrook here shortly, and why not? That seems to be the view the team is taking on Westbrook — that adding him can’t hurt.
They admittedly are desperate for backcourt help behind Jamal Murray after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Orlando Magic) in free agency and Reggie Jackson (Charlotte Hornets) via trade. Young shooting guard Christian Braun is likely to get the starting nod.
That said, Westbrook could also see spot duty as a starter following the trade from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Utah Jazz, who intend to buy out Westbrook’s deal.
For the Nuggets, it’s a low-risk move.
“This is just a why-not signing for the Nuggets,” veteran NBA insider Zach Lowe said on ESPN. “They’re searching for an identity on their bench.”
Westbrook can help speed things up, too.
“Their identity can be go, go, go, chaos. Russell Westbrook basketball,” Lowe said. “You put him next to Dario Saric (off the bench). He and Nikola Jokic, you can imagine them working together, maybe in transition. Maybe Aaron Gordon is off the floor, because it’s hard to play Russ with even one other non-shooter. …
“Look, this ran its course with the Clippers, there’s no way around it. Russ was miserable for them last year in the playoffs. He was 13-of-50 from the floor. With more turnovers than assists. So this is kind of a why-not for the Nuggets. Maybe this unlocks their bench, maybe this gives them a little oomph, a little power. And if it doesn’t, they don’t really need Russell Westbrook the way the Clippers and some of those other teams did.”
The NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocks in 2023-24 while shooting 45.4% from the field, 27.3% from beyond the arc and 68.8% from the foul line.
Denver lost starting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who left for the Orlando Magic in free agency.
“I think we need some help in the backcourt,” GM Calvin Booth told Altitude TV. “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.”
"This is just a why-not signing for the Nuggets. … They're searching for an identity on their bench." 🤔 @ZachLowe_NBA on Russell Westbrook leaving the Clippers and joining Nikola Jokic in Denver 👀 pic.twitter.com/Di3QYDmVeZ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 18, 2024
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