10:11pm: The Nuggets have officially signed Westbrook, according to a team press release.
1:05pm: The Nuggets will sign veteran point guard Russell Westbrook to a two-year contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Denver has long been the expected landing spot for the former MVP, but the details of Westbrook’s new deal hadn’t been reported until now. The 35-year-old earn the minimum salary of $3,303,771 in 2024/25, with a minimum-salary player option worth $3,468,960 for ’25/26. He could become a free agent again in a year if he declines that option.
After joining the Clippers on the buyout market in February 2023, Westbrook spent his first full season with the team in ’23/24, shifting to a bench role following the November acquisition of James Harden. In 68 appearances, the nine-time All-Star averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in a career-low 22.5 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .454/.273/.688.
Although Westbrook exercised his $4MM+ player option for 2024/25, his camp and the Clippers quickly began working to find a new home for the former UCLA star. The Nuggets, whose star center Nikola Jokic endorsed the pursuit of Westbrook, were immediately identified as the frontrunner but weren’t in a great position to acquire the guard via trade.
Instead, Westbrook was sent to Utah as part of a deal sending Kris Dunn to the Clippers via sign-and-trade. He subsequently agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, clearing the way for him to sign with Denver as a free agent.
Westbrook is on track to serve as Jamal Murray‘s primary backup at the point and will play a significant role next season for a Nuggets team that struggled to find reliable depth outside of its starting five in the playoffs this past spring.
Good for Russ, hopefully it will mesh well there. He deserves better than the way the LA teams treated him the last couple of years.
Clippers treated Russ just fine. Its not like they had promised him anything. Lakers treated him fine too. Their fan base and the media are the people who did him dirty. In hindsight it’s kind of crazy that he was basically made to look like the worst player in the league by all sports media because that dysfunctional Lakers team couldn’t get it together.
To be fair, the difference in DC Russ and LA Russ was pretty stark.
They need his shots up
He gives them scoring and energy off the bench. Plus a vet who can handle the playoffs. Good place for Russ.
I see Nuggets as top team in West. They will be hungry again.
Hopefully. Srawther is the backup SG and could be a complete bust. Nugs are thin there
Haven’t seen the thunder with Hart and Caruso yet.
Imagine signing a player who every other team in the league rejected via waivers, and then being proud of that signing and thinking it somehow helps your team.
He’s Russell frickin’ Westbrook. He gets to say where he wants to play. No team claimed him because he wouldn’t have played for nearly all of them.
Except he doesn’t get to say. He isn’t special, he’s under the same contract as everyone else. If he doesn’t want to play his only recourse would be to retire, at which point the team who claimed him would owe him nothing. He’s not a winner, and putting up “historic” numbers on a terrible team that directly coincides with rules changes making offense much, much easier, isn’t what I would call “a star”. There is a reason he cleared waivers, and it’s not because he’s a star.
What terrible team did he put stats up on?
Didn’t realize terrible teams make playoffs since those OKC teams did, he helped the Wizards make it when Beal was out they were average at best, Houston made it too.
He cleared waivers because it is a player league guys with big names clear waivers in all sports. They do get a say it is also about the money if you pick them up on waivers you are taking that contract he previously had instead of making a new one.
I don’t think you watched Houston’s games when Westbrook was there he was awful. James Harden in his prime is what got the Rockets to the playoffs.
Plus Westbrook convinced them to get rid of Capella so the lanes wouldn’t be so clogged then left the very next year after Harden wanted out. What a chump
Pretty sure Russ didn’t have final say on Capela who was injured at that time. But whatever you need to continue a weird hate, go for it…
He wasn’t “awful”
Where do you people come from? You’re so full of hate you can’t judge hoops?
You could say all sorts of things about prime Russell Westbrook but “awful” isn’t one of them.
@highwaymenace.
“not because he’s a star”
He’s 35 you chump. We all know he isn’t a star anymore, he knows he isn’t a star anymore. But you’re the only one all aggro about it.
Yeah ….. you got it figured.
Denver has a weird obsession with giving everyone a player option
Pelinka-esque
A player option is the best way, because if it does not work out it is easier to discuss with a player to opt out.
A player takes less when it is a player option because they have the power.
Teams tend to over pay when it is a team option(Bruce Brown last year and Hartenstein this year)
This guarantees Nuggets aren’t going to win a championship next year
What a deep thinker you are.