A year ago, the Denver Nuggets won the NBA championship, and because of how young and cohesive their starting five was, they were being tabbed as a dynasty in the making.
But instead of further pinning down a foundation for a dynasty, they lost in the second round of the playoffs this past season, making them look more like a one-hit wonder.
They have now lost starting shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free agency, and what looked like a thin team beneath their main contributors is looking even thinner now.
Per Harrison Wind, superstar Nikola Jokic is pushing the Nuggets to go after what seems like a curious choice: Russell Westbrook.
Nikola Jokic has pushed behind the scenes for the Nuggets to get Russell Westbrook. This isn’t the first time he’s wanted to play with him in Denver either. Westbrook would give Michael Malone a trusted, veteran ball handler, which is something the Nuggets need right now.
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) July 1, 2024
Westbrook just picked up his player option for the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, and they’re hoping to find a trade partner in order to get some value back for him.
Westbrook was one of the NBA’s true individual forces several years ago, especially when he averaged a triple-double four times in five seasons, but his game and overall stock have fallen considerably over the last three years.
He is still a useful player, but his poor outside shooting, tendency to turn the ball over and mercurial personality make it tough for him to fit in, especially now that he is essentially a bench player.
Denver’s bench was weak this past season, and they could certainly use an offensive spark plug off their bench, but would the flawed Westbrook be able to provide that without hurting them?
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2 Nuggets Players Are Reportedly Pushing For A Russell Westbrook Trade