NBA Rumors: Russell Westbrook Likely to Land 2-Year Nuggets Contract After Jazz Trade

The Denver Nuggets are reportedly going to bring in a future Hall of Famer on a multi-year deal this offseason.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported Friday that point guard Russell Westbrook will "likely" join the Nuggets on a two-year deal with a player option. Westbrook is available because the Utah Jazz waived him after acquiring him via trade from the Los Angeles Clippers.

That the UCLA product is going to end up in Denver comes as no surprise.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in the aftermath of the Clippers trade on July 18 that Utah was expected to agree to a buyout with the veteran to clear the way for him to "eventually join" the Nuggets.

There was a time when Westbrook joining a contender like the Nuggets would be one of the biggest stories of the entire offseason.

His resume includes the 2016-17 MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections, nine All-Star nods and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. He isn't that far removed from being one of the best players in the league, and his explosiveness in the open floor and ability to stuff the stat sheet was almost unrivaled.

However, he will turn 36 years old in November and isn't the same playmaker he was during his peak on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Westbrook has bounced around after playing the 11 seasons of his career on the Thunder and suited up for the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers in recent seasons.

He can still provide a spark off the bench and is someone who can anchor Denver's second unit much like he did for the Clippers last season when he finished seventh in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

Choosing the Nuggets is also notable because the one thing missing from his list of accomplishments is a championship ring. Denver won the title during the 2022-23 campaign and will likely be on the short list of realistic contenders again in 2024-25 with Nikola Jokić leading the way.

If Westbrook excels in his role, perhaps he can finally take home a ring in the latter portion of his career.