Russell Westbrook, Nuggets Agree to 2-Year, $6.8M Contract with Player Option

Russell Westbrook and the Denver Nuggets have agreed to a contract following his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers and buyout by the Utah Jazz.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium first reported the news Friday, noting the two-year contract is worth $6.8 million and has a player option for the second season.

Westbrook, who spent parts of the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, was part of a sign-and-trade deal between the Clippers and Jazz, as first reported Thursday by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Jazz then waived Westbrook and bought out the remainder of his contract. The former MVP had previously opted in to a player option for the 2024-25 season worth just over $4 million.

The deal marked Westbrook's fifth trade since 2019, setting a record for a former league MVP. He was also dealt to and waived by the Jazz in 2023 before signing with the Clippers.

Westbrook averaged a career-low 11.1 points and 4.5 assists in 68 appearances during his last season in Los Angeles.

He began the 2023-24 campaign as a starter for the Clippers, but was moved primarily to a bench role following the Clippers' midseason acquisition of James Harden.

Westbrook finished the season having played a career-low 22.5 minutes per game, but still provided reliable defense for the Clippers' second unit.

Those defensive capabilities will make him a solid depth option for the Nuggets, a team looking to fill bolster their backcourt after losing starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.

Although his days as a starter may be behind him, Westbrook could prove to be a boost to the Nuggets' defensive depth as the team looks to follow up last season's 57-win campaign with another run to the NBA finals in 2025.