Westbrook Trade Highlights Nuggets’ Disappointing Summer

Russell Westbrook is expected to join the Denver Nuggets next season. This move says more about the Nuggets’ offseason than it does about Westbrook himself.

Westbrook is likely to agree on a contract buyout with the Jazz, which will clear the way for him to eventually join the Denver Nuggets after clearing waivers.

For the second time in 17 months, a Los Angeles team traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz so they could waive him. After his buyout, he’s set to replace Reggie Jackson as Denver’s backup point guard .

Denver Nuggets’ Offseason Moves:

Westbrook isn’t exactly an upgrade for Denver; he’s more of a necessary body off the bench. Last season, he averaged a career-low 11.1 points in 22.5 minutes per game, grabbed five rebounds, and had 4.5 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field and just 27.3% from three-point range.

The Nuggets really need players right now since they lost Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Orlando Magic and gave up future picks just to dump Jackson. These moves cost them two players who covered 21% of their minutes last season.

Their biggest signing was Dario Saric as a backup center because their first-round pick DaRon Holmes tore his Achilles on the first night of Summer League.

Fans might think this news is kind of disappointing given how much talent Jokic has brought to the team recently.

Westbrook may not score efficiently anymore, but he can still provide volume off the bench. Maybe GM Calvin Booth wants Coach Michael Malone to use young players like Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther more often. But with Braun now starting and Watson and Strawther being only 22 years old, Westbrook offers some insurance and stability.

It’s clear that Denver is sticking with cheaper options like Saric and Westbrook despite having Nikola Jokic on their roster—a player who has won three MVP awards in four years! The team seems either unable or unwilling to spend big money this summer.

Getting Westbrook would have been exciting a few years ago; now it feels like proof that Nuggets didn’t have better choices during an offseason where they took steps backward.

What do you think about these moves?