Russell Westbrook #0 of the LA Clippers waits during a 96-93 Dallas Mavericks win in game two of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.| AFP
The Denver Nuggets plan to sign NBA veteran Russell Westbrook as a free agent after the future Hall of Famer clears waivers, the Denver Post reported Thursday.
Westbrook picked up a $4 million player option in June to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, who moved him via a sign-and-trade on Thursday to the Utah Jazz, who are expected to reach terms on a contract buyout that would make him available to Denver.
READ MORE:
Lebron on Team USA: ‘Much to improve’ before Olympics
NBA: Lebron James agrees to a 2-year extension with Lakers
NBA Draft: Bronny James, LeBron’s teen son, picked by Lakers
ESPN reported the Clippers will receive guard Kris Dunn from the Jazz along with a second-round draft pick exchange and cash in the deal.
Westbrook, 35, averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season, mostly coming off the bench.
He started 11 regular-season games for the Clippers, who won 51 games before falling to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.
Westbrook is the league’s all-time leader in triple-doubles with 199.
READ MORE: NBA: Klay Thompson believes he could be Mavericks’ missing piece
The Nuggets would be his sixth team in seven seasons after he spent the first 10 years of his career in Oklahoma City.
In Denver he would team with Serbian star Nikola Jook, who is fourth on the all-time triple-doubles list with 130 and chasing Westbrook’s total.
Jook led the Nuggets to a first NBA championship in 2023, but Denver fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games in the second round of the playoffs in May.