Russell Westbrook is experiencing a repeat. For the second straight year, he has been traded to the Utah Jazz after just 1.5 seasons with an LA team, and just like last time, he will be bought out and join a different ballclub.  

As you may remember, he was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Jazz in February 2023, who then paid his remaining salary so he could sign with the LA Clippers. Fast forward just 15 months, Westbrook and the Clipps are parting ways as the veteran now sets his sights on the Denver Nuggets.

As a slight difference, however, both parties have agreed to look for a trade when Westbrook opted to his $4.4M player option in late June.

Nevertheless, now 35 (will be 36 in November), the 2017 NBA MVP is in a different phase of his career, which has been steadily seen over the last few seasons.

He averaged 11.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game on 22.5 minutes of action per contest this past season, all of which are career-lows. In fact, aside from being relegated to the bench just 10 games into the season, his minutes were also brought down to the teens.

While depth and scheme are the most likely reasons for such changes, aging has definitely played a role. He (understandably) doesn’t have the same burst and explosiveness to the rim, and his shot selections have been pretty unpredictable, and not in a good way. Additionally, his one-on-one defense isn’t consistent enough, including his overall decision-making during pick-and-roll, zone, rotation, and help defense.

Obviously, with all that in mind, it’s a big question mark if this partnership is really a good fit. The Nuggets are just a year removed from winning a championship, and are now hungry as ever to return to the finals stage. Virtually free from any wildcard play, the 2022-23 champs are a well-oiled machine led by Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Aaron Gordon, a foursome that makes the right plays and complements each other well. Westbrook will have to change a ton of things to mix himself in that group, and you have to wonder if he’s willing to do that much work, or if he’s able to do such a switch at this stage.

For Denver, you have to wonder if this is some chemistry-killing move, much like what the Lakers did in 2021, who, interestingly enough, was also a season removed from a title. They are still stumbling from that disastrous trade.

For now, the hope is for head coach Michael Malone and his staff to figure something for Russ, or perhaps mentally prepare him to be the roleplayer they intend him to be. To be fair, he willingly cut his minutes with the Clippers with no known issue, and it did wonders of the team. In any case, this is another test as to how bad he really wants to ride off into the sunset with a championship ring.