Clippers send Russell Westbrook to Jazz in sign-and-trade deal
The LA Clippers’ offseason has taken another turn after agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal that sends former All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz are expected to buy out Westbrook. This paves the way for him to sign in free agency with the Denver Nuggets. The trade includes the Clippers signing guard Kris Dunn to a three-year, $17 million deal.
The Jazz are also receiving a 2030 second-round pick swap and the draft rights to center Balsa Koprivica. As well as that, they’ll get $4.3 million in cash.
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Before the move, there had been plenty of chatter that the Nuggets were strongly interested in adding Westbrook. Three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic reportedly pushed to land the fellow former league MVP.
Addressing the backcourt became more urgent after the Nuggets saw Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope both leave in free agency.
“I think we need some help in the backcourt,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth told ”Altitude TV” on Tuesday via ESPN. “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.”
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Westbrook is coming off his least productive campaign, where he averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Meanwhile, he shot 45.4 percent from the floor and 27.3 percent from 3-point range in 22.5 minutes per game in 68 games played with 11 starts.
The 35-year-old will likely step back into a prominent role starting in the backcourt alongside Jamal Murray as a key piece of the offensive game plan.
