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Russell Westbrook reaches 2-year, $6.8 million minimum deal with Nuggets after trade

By Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports
Los Angeles Clippers v Dallas Mavericks - Game Four DALLAS, TEXAS - APRIL 28: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Los Angeles Clippers brings the ball up court in the second half of game four of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on April 28, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
By Ryan Young, Yahoo Sports

Russell Westbrook’s move to the Nuggets is now complete.

Westbrook, who was traded away from the Los Angeles Clippers last week, agreed to a two-year, $6.8 million veteran minimum deal with the Nuggets on Friday, his agent told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The two-year deal includes a player option for the 2025-26 season.

The Clippers opted to trade Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kris Dunn and a future second-round draft pick. The Jazz then reached a contract buyout with Westbrook, which freed him up to sign with the Nuggets.

Denver now marks the sixth team that Westbrook will play for in the last seven seasons. He averaged a career-low 11.1 points, five rebounds and 4.5 assists in a career-low 22.5 minutes per game last season largely off the bench in Los Angeles. Westbrook briefly served as the Clippers’ starting point guard at the beginning of the year, but he moved to a bench role once the team brought in James Harden.

The Clippers had been searching for a trading partner for Westbrook since the season ended, and the Nuggets had been considered the favorite for quite some time before the deal went down. The 35-year-old veteran, while nearing the end of his career, should provide a significant boost to the Nuggets’ second unit while teaming up with three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.

The Nuggets, after winning the NBA Finals in 2023, went 57-25 last season and reached the Western Conference semifinals, where they were knocked out by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

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