Heading into his 17 season, Russell Westbrook has already collected all the individual accolades that he could have dreamt of as a kid. But the one piece of silverware that continues to elude him is the NBA Championship. And it looks like Russ is ready to do anything to reach that goal before he hangs his boots. Recently being traded by the Clippers to the Jazz, Westbrook is reportedly making a massive sacrifice in the buyout with the Utah side, paving the way for the 35-year-old’s move to a prime spot.

As expected, Westbrook was waived by the Jazz soon after he got traded there. But what no one would have seen coming was the former MVP giving up $1.7 million in the contract buyout, as he has reportedly “reduced his dead money cap hit from a little over $4 million to $2.3 million,” via Keith Smith. This deal has now cleared the path for him to join the Nuggets in the pursuit of his first title.

Initially opting into his player option for next season with the Clippers, Russ was owed over $4 million. But his sacrificial move suggests that he has a bigger goal in mind. “Somebody to play behind Jamal Murray,” Mike Malone said when he was asked what his team needs this summer to get back to title contention, making his requirements clear.

And Russ could be the solution to all their problems. Even being endorsed by Nikola Jokic himself, the Nuggets reportedly have a huge interest in acquiring the former MVP and now that the Jazz buyout is complete, both parties might soon begin the process of joining forces. “Calvin Booth’s all over it,” Malone remarked about fulfilling Denver’s need for a backup point guard.

The Russell Westbrook-Denver Nuggets fit- how will it benefit both of them?

With mutual interest, Westbrook joining the Nuggets following his Jazz buyout seems like the perfect move. While Russ had a rough start to his Clippers tenure when he first joined as a starter, he voluntarily took a backseat to the team’s betterment after realizing that he could be more productive coming off the bench. Sure enough, he became the driving force of the second unit and finished the season averaging 11.1 points and 4.5 assists. And the Nuggets need exactly that from the player they are looking for, someone to direct traffic when Jamal Murray is on the bench.

With his playmaking ability and defensive tenacity, even at 35, Westbrook will take a huge load off Murray and Jokic’s shoulders as they will not be required to be so ball-dominant with the former MVP on the floor.

Moreover, Russell brings a unique energy to the locker room, because of which even DeAndre Jordan has pushed the Nuggets to pursue him. And for RW, this might be his best shot at winning a title in a long time as Denver reached the mountaintop just last season and he could be the missing piece to get them over the hump one more time.

So, that’s why, it could be a win-win situation for both the Nuggets and the former MVP.