NBA Exec: Nuggets 'Can't Afford to Lose' Russell Westbrook If They Move Him to Bench

As the Denver Nuggets have surged back in the Western Conference to secure the second-place spot, NBA executives believe the team cannot "afford to lose" Russell Westbrook if the Nuggets move him out of the starting five.

"I'd keep Russ starting," one Western executive said, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "You can't afford to lose him, and you might if you don't." 

The veteran point guard has appeared in 50 games (27 starts) for the Nuggets this season, averaging 13.0 points, 6.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 47.1 percent from the field, the second-best in his career. 

Westbrook and Christian Braun have battled for the fifth starting spot over the last couple of weeks, raising the question of what would happen if Westbrook were officially moved to the bench for the 23-year-old.

“He's been a big part of them with his buy-in, and you can spin it to Christian differently,” the executive continued, per Bontemps. “I think the collateral damage of one to the bench is much more significant than the other."

Keeping the 17-year vet happy with the possibility of earning his first NBA Finals win would be much more beneficial to the team's dynamic and could be ensured by keeping him in a starting role.

Denver has been led by Nikola Jokić, who is having a career season in points per game (29.4) and steals (1.8), along with 12.7 rebounds. The big man is also shooting a career-best 44.7 percent from three-point range.

Jamal Murray has also played a big part in the team's resurgence, averaging a career-high 21.2 points and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field.

The starting five of Jokić, Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr. and Westbrook seems to be the best way to keep Westbrook happy for now as the Nuggets hope to fend off the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Lakers for the West's No. 2 seed.