After finishing with the second-best record in the Western Conference last year, the Denver Nuggets are once again in the mix for a top playoff spot this year. They still have three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, who continues to do incredible basketball things like casually knocking down a one-handed 75-foot shot. He's undoubtedly been the team's best player. But for much of the season, the second star hasn't been Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, or Michael Porter Jr.
Instead, it's been Russell Westbrook—the same guy whose contract has felt like an albatross on several other teams. Westbrook joined the Nuggets this year on a $3.3 million deal ($3,303,771 to be exact), which is the minimum he can make at this stage of his career. Two seasons ago, Westbrook made $46,791,220.
That's a decrease of $43,487,449, the largest contract drop-off in NBA history. Now, Westbrook has become the biggest bargain in the NBA.
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Westbrook certainly has a ton of talent. He's made nine All-Star teams, earned the league MVP during the 2016-17 season, has led the league in scoring twice, assists, three times, and has had four seasons where he averaged a triple-double.
After that MVP season, Westbrook signed a five-year, $205 million contract extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was the largest contract in NBA history up to that point. The team was a year removed from Kevin Durant leaving to join the Golden State Warriors, and Westbrook's extension meant he was planning to stick around for the long run.
Except…the two sides parted ways two years later. Westbrook's new contract didn't start until the 2018-19 season, and for the third straight year, the Thunder were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder traded Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and draft picks, which started the pinball portion of Westbrook's career.
He bounced around several teams, winding up on the Wizards, the Lakers, the Jazz (even though he didn't play any games there), and the Clippers. Throughout those stops, critics pointed at his massive contract. His time with the Lakers was compounded by the team consistently struggling, and Westbrook was a convenient scapegoat.
So, he took a buyout from the Lakers to join the Clippers. Things seemed like they were going well enough, but the team traded for James Harden, Westbrook's former teammate in both OKC and Houston. Suddenly, Westbrook wasn't as critical to the Clippers roster, and took another buyout to become a free agent. That's when Denver came calling.
Jokic told TNT's Inside the NBA that the Lakers misunderstood Westbrook and explained that when the guard can get momentum moving downhill, he'll make the right decision, whether it's attacking the basket or finding an open teammate with a smart pass.
Westbrook is approaching $350 million in career earnings, so he's looking more for a good basketball fit than a massive pay day. Luckily for both sides, Westbrook and the Nuggets is a fantastic pairing.
