According to reports from The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, the Denver Nuggets are said to be planning a pursuit of veteran guard Russell Westbrook after he picked up his contract with the Los Angeles Clippers. Charania stated that the Nuggets have shown a significant level of interest in acquiring Westbrook.

Charania's report also revealed that the Clippers are actively working on trades to move Westbrook. This news has sparked speculation about the player's future, with Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer identifying the Nuggets as a potential landing spot for Westbrook, utilizing the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. To make this happen, the Nuggets are reportedly looking to offload backup center Zeke Nnaji in order to stay under the second tax apron and create room for their midlevel exception.

Westbrook's decision to exercise his $4 million player option with the Clippers, rather than testing the open market, surprised many. However, Law Murray and Jenna West of The Athletic reported that the Clippers may still consider waiving or trading Westbrook, depending on how their offseason plans unfold.

Last season, Westbrook averaged 11.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Despite spending most of the year as a reserve behind James Harden, Westbrook's potential role with the Nuggets could be more substantial. It remains to be seen whether the Clippers will allow Harden to explore unrestricted free agency or bring him back, but if Westbrook returns to the team, they will become his second most-tenured franchise, following the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Being a Los Angeles native, it is believed that Westbrook values the stability of staying home, even if there might be better offers or roles available elsewhere. The future Hall of Famer has played for five different teams in the last six seasons, and a return to the Clippers would provide him with the opportunity to further cement his ties to his hometown.

As the NBA offseason progresses, the pursuit of Russell Westbrook by the Denver Nuggets will be one of the storylines to watch. Fans will eagerly await updates on potential trade talks and the Nuggets' efforts to create the necessary cap space to acquire the highly regarded guard.