Nikola Jokic personally requested Nuggets front office to pursue Russell Westbrook: Report
At the start of free agency, reports emerged that Russell Westbrook was available via trade. Recent reports suggest that one current superstar urged his team to target the former MVP.
Following the rumors regarding Westbrook, the Denver Nuggets emerged as a team with interest in acquiring him. According to one insider, Nikola Jokic is a big reason why the front office might seek out a trade.
During a recent episode of the "DNVR Nuggets" podcast, Harrison Wind touched on Denver's reported pursuit of Russell Westbrook. He stated that Jokic has a desire to play with the LA Clippers guard.
"I've been told that Nikola Jokic actually has been pushing behind the scenes to get Westbrook to Denver," Wind said. "He wants to play with him, it's not the first time he's wanted to play with him."
Westbrook has taken a lesser role since joining the Clippers but has still been productive. Last season, he averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists, primarily coming off the bench.
According to reports, there is mutual interest between Westbrook and the Nuggets. In the event he isn't traded to Denver, he could be dealt to a team that would waive him and allow him to become a free agent and sign there.
Would Russell Westbrook be a good fit on the Denver Nuggets?
Given how the offseason has played out for them, the Denver Nuggets are in need of guard depth. First, Reggie Jackson was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. The Nuggets then lost a key player in free agency when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope signed with the Orlando Magic.
At this stage of his career, Russell Westbrook has shown he is still capable of being productive on a good team. Even though he is a unique player, a case could be made that he'd make sense for the Nuggets.
Westbrook likely wouldn't start but instead would be a backup to Jamal Murray. With his energetic style of play, he could lead the charge for the second unit for stretches when the stars are off the floor.
It shouldn't be done for long periods of time, but Russell Westbrook could share the floor with Nikola Jokic. He could fill a similar type of role that Bruce Brown did for them when they won the championship. Westbrook can attack defenses off the ball as a cutter along with being a secondary playmaker next to the three-time MVP.
As the Nuggets look to get back in the title hunt in 2025, bringing in a hyper-competitive player like Westbrook could be a valuable addition.