There has been plenty of talk about Russell Westbrook's future with the LA Clippers. For some time, the general thought among many has been that his time with the team could be over, given the season he had in 2023-24. Not only did Russ look older, but his role was simply not as defined as it once was.
Once the Clippers traded for James Harden, Westbrook's role became that of a bench ball-handler. Now granted, he willingly accepted that role as a way to help the team. But it is clear that him doing that did not exactly boost his individual production.
Russ finished the season shooting just 27% from three-point range, scoring a career-worst 11.1 points per game on average. His defense was not enough to make up for his lackluster offensive contributions, and the Clippers' abundance of ball-handlers now on the roster led many to believe that he could end up elsewhere next season.
Those suspicions were confirmed on Monday when top NBA insider Shams Charania reported that according to an inside source, the Clippers and Westbrook are planning to part ways. Additionally, he also revealed that LA is actively looking for trade partners to help Russ find a new home. In the event no trade partner is found, the Denver Nuggets are the most likely team to claim Westbrook as a potential buyout target.
This trade would give the Clippers a reasonable return for Russ
All this information lines up, and it points to the rumors that have been circulating all along. Bleacher Report recently crafted an imaginary trade wherein the Clippers would deal Westbrook to Denver, getting back Zeke Nnaji and a second-round pick in return. All things considered, this trade, if pulled off in real life, would be a slam dunk for LA.
You may ask why I say that, given that it is not a particularly big return. But the reality is that Westbrook is simply not in high or even moderate demand anymore. We are talking about him potentially being given away for free if no trade partner is found. That alone should make this scenario a no-brainer for the Clippers.
A former University of Arizona standout, Zeke Nnaji is still just 23 years old and has plenty of untapped potential. He would be a nice addition to the Clippers' young core, with the chance of him becoming a legitimate rotation player existing. Add in the second-round pick, and this is probably close to the best case scenario the Clippers could envision when it comes to moving on from Russ.