Clippers trade Russell Westbrook to Jazz, former league MVP to join Nuggets after contract buyout, per report

The Los Angeles Clippers are trading Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter confirms. Utah is expected to agree on a contract buyout with Westbrook and then the veteran guard is expected to sign with the Denver Nuggets, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

This is an expanded deal that was initially reported on July 1 by Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, in which Utah guard Kris Dunn agreed to a deal with the Clippers as an unrestricted free agent. Dunn will officially head to the Clippers on a three-year, $17 million deal as part of the sign-and-trade, per Haynes. The Clippers also sent a second-round pick swap and cash to the Jazz.

Westbrook opted into the final year of his deal earlier this summer, which was worth a little over $4 million. Now, it appears as though he and the Jazz will come to an agreement on a buyout number so that he can sign with his preferred option of the Nuggets.

Westbrook and the Nuggets had previously been rumored to have mutual interest in each other, and now it looks like he’ll be joining the team. While he’s past his All-Star and MVP-winning days, Westbrook did show value as a scorer and facilitator off the bench this past season with the Clippers. His defensive effort was also a necessity in the second unit.

Westbrook brings veteran leadership to a Nuggets team that has had a quiet offseason after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic. Westbrook certainly won’t replace KCP’s defense — or his 3-point shooting — but at the right price, he can still be a valuable piece on a championship-contending team.

The Clippers always seemed to be headed toward trading Westbrook once he opted into his deal. L.A. is entering a new era, one without Paul George now, and clearly didn’t see value in keeping Westbrook for another season. They’ll be getting a bit of a journeyman in Dunn, who, after being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Timberwolves, has spent time with the Bulls, Hawks, Trial Blazers and Jazz. 

Westbrook has been traded five times since 2019 — the most ever by a former league MVP — and it’s the second straight year he has been traded to Utah. The Lakers sent him to the Jazz at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, but he was waived by the Jazz 11 days later and then signed with the Clippers.

Dunn’s a defensive-minded guard who, in recent seasons, has started to find his shot from 3-point range. He doesn’t take 3s at a high volume, averaging under two attempts a game over the last three seasons, but he’s making them at a 37.3% clip when he does have the confidence to let it fly from downtown. If he can get that volume up and maintain consistency, he’ll be a valuable shooter for the Clippers. His defense off the bench will certainly be a huge boost for L.A.’s second unit, as he showed in Utah that he’s capable of staying in front of quicker guards.