Blockbuster 3-Team Trade Pitch Finally Helps Nuggets Land Russell Westbrook

The Nuggets–Russell Westbrook connection has come up so frequently and so solidly here in the 2024 NBA offseason that is almost a surprise to realize that they have not actually obtained him yet from the Clippers. But Westbrook is still, formally, in L.A., having opted in on the second year of his contract with the team, at $4 million.

The Nuggets need a trade to get Westbrook to Denver, and that’s where it could yet pay to be patient. The Clippers are still looking to make another big deal this summer, after having lost star forward Paul George to the Sixers in free agency. If the Nuggets simply wait, they could be a team that helps L.A. facilitate a trade, and could reap some extra rewards in the process.

A new trade proposal from the folks at Bleacher Report lays that out pretty clearly. In a blockbuster three-team trade with the highlight being Zach LaVine going from Chicago to the Clippers, the Nuggets can sneak into the mix by adding two second-round picks and the regrettable contract of Zeke Nnaji, landing both Westbrook and another player onto the roster in the process.

Clippers Blockbuster Trade Could Make Waiting Worthwhile for Denver

Here’s the full trade proposal from analyst Greg Swartz:

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: SG Zach LaVine, 2025 and 2026 second-round picks (via Denver Nuggets), 2028 and 2029 second-round picks (via Chicago Bulls)

Denver Nuggets Receive: PG Russell Westbrook, G/F Amir Coffey

Chicago Bulls Receive: SG Norman Powell, F/C P.J. Tucker, G Bones Hyland, PF Zeke Nnaji

Whether that qualifies as a doable deal for the Bulls, who have vowed not to attach picks to dump LaVine’s overwrought, $215 million contract, can be debated. And whether the addition of four second-rounders is enough to get the Clippers to agree to take on LaVine’s deal can also be debated.

But what can’t be debated is the value for the Nuggets. In this scenario the Nugs get both Westbrook, who is going to wind up in Denver one way or the other, and Amir Coffey, who played 70 games and added 6.6 points with 38.0% shooting off the bench for the Clippers. Coffey is a valuable veteran 3-and-D option on the wing, an area in which Denver needs help.

Swartz wrote, “The Nuggets turn one rarely used bench option on a bad contract in Nnaji into two rotation players in Westbrook and Coffey, adding them to a revamped bench that now features Dario Šarić.”

Nuggets-Russell Westbrook Deal a Formality Now

Again, this specific trade might be a nonstarter, especially if the Clippers nix the idea of adding LaVine. But it’s the reason the Westbrook deal has not been done yet, even as it is widely reported to be mostly a formality.

Westbrook has been a mixed bag for his teams in recent years, because his ball-dominant style of play and poor shooting has been a tough fit. But he worked well as a reserve for the Clippers last season, with L.A. able to unleash him in very productive stretches—he averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 22.5 minutes.

For the Nuggets, he would be a changeup off the bench, who could also play alongside star point guard Jamal Murray in stretches. He can also be a reasonable facsimile of Murray when the Nuggets star needs a rest, especially coming off a summer playing for Team Canada in the Olympics.

Coach Mike Malone all but confirmed the eventual arrival of Westbrook this week on ESPN, when he was asked about what remains to be done this offseason. “Somebody to play behind Jamal Murray,” Malone said. “(GM) Calvin Booth is all over it.”

There was little doubt he meant future Nuggets Russell Westbrook. The only question remaining is how he gets to Denver.