LOS ANGELES, United States — The Denver Nuggets plan to sign NBA veteran Russell Westbrook as a free agent after the future Hall of Famer clears waivers, the Denver Post reported Thursday (Friday morning, Manila time.)
Westbrook picked up a $4 million player option in June to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, who moved him via a sign-and-trade on Thursday to the Utah Jazz, who are expected to reach terms on a contract buyout that would make him available to Denver.
ESPN reported the Clippers will receive guard Kris Dunn from the Jazz along with a second-round draft pick exchange and cash in the deal.
Westbrook, 35, averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season, mostly coming off the bench.
He started 11 regular-season games for the Clippers, who won 51 games before falling to Dallas in the first round of the playoffs.
Westbrook is the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles with 199.
The Nuggets would be his sixth team in seven seasons after he spent the first 10 years of his career in Oklahoma City.
In Denver he would team up with Serbian star Nikola Jokic, who is fourth on the all-time triple-doubles list with 130 and chasing Westbrook's total.
Jokic led the Nuggets to a first NBA championship in 2023, but Denver fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games in the second round of the playoffs in May.