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By Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN staff writer
The Clippers and Jazz have agreed to a sign-and-trade deal for Russell Westbrook, who is expected to join the Nuggets after Utah waives him and buys out the remainder of his contract, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to a Wojnarowski source, the Clippers are planning to acquire guard Kris Dunn from the Jazz in exchange for Westbrook, a second-round draft pick and cash.
Westbrook averaged a career-low 11.1 points per game with the Clippers in 2023-24 but is expected to clear waivers before joining the Nuggets, per sources.
A league source told ESPN that the Nuggets are interested in acquiring Westbrook if he is waived. The Nuggets need a veteran backup point guard who can provide energy and defensive prowess after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson left the team in free agency.
“We believe we need some backcourt additions,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth told Altitude TV on Tuesday. “We're going to continue to identify that and look at the market. We have some openings on the roster and I think we'd be happy to add a high-level guard.”
Westbrook agreed to a $4 million contract last month, but Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank recently met with Westbrook's representatives to find a suitable fit for the nine-time All-Star after Paul George left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Frank called Westbrook a “great player, a Hall of Fame player” and stressed that the Clippers have “a lot of respect” for him.
Westbrook started as the Clippers' starting point guard last season, but Los Angeles acquired James Harden in a trade and Westbrook quickly moved into the sixth man role afterward, with the Clippers posting a 26-5 record during their hot spell.
Westbrook averaged 4.5 assists and played a career-low 22.5 minutes per game, but the fan-favorite played the best individual defense of his career, ranking fourth in field goal percentage allowed as a blocking defender among players who blocked at least 300 shots last season, according to Second Spectrum tracking.
Westbrook was often paired on the court with George, his former Thunder teammate and friend, and the Clippers are now moving forward with Kawhi Leonard and Harden and have added defensive-minded players in free agency like Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr. and Nicolas Batum.
According to a source familiar with the matter with Wojnarowski, the Clippers and Dunn agreed to a three-year, $17 million contract with a team option for the third year. Dunn has appeared in 66 games, averaging 5.4 points, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 36.9% from the 3-point line, his best mark since his rookie season in 2016-17.
Dunn also ranks sixth in deflections per 36 minutes among players with at least 1,000 minutes played, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Clippers targeted the defensive-minded Dunn early in free agency.
