The Clippers and Jazz have agreed to a sign-and-trade deal involving Russell Westbrook. Following the trade, Westbrook is expected to join the Denver Nuggets after Utah waives him and completes a contract buyout.

In return for Westbrook, the Clippers will receive guard Kris Dunn from the Jazz, along with a second-round draft pick swap and cash.

Westbrook’s Deal

This expanded deal was initially reported on July 1, in which Utah guard Kris Dunn agreed to a deal with the Clippers as an unrestricted free agent. Dunn will officially join the Clippers on a three-year, $17 million deal as part of the sign-and-trade. The Clippers also included a second-round pick swap and cash in the trade.

Westbrook and the Nuggets had previously been rumored to have mutual interest, and now it appears he will be joining the team. While no longer in his All-Star and MVP-winning prime, Westbrook demonstrated value as a scorer and facilitator off the bench with the Clippers last season. His defensive efforts were also crucial in the second unit.

Westbrook offers veteran leadership to a Nuggets team that has been relatively inactive this offseason, particularly after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic. Although Westbrook won’t replace KCP’s defense or 3-point shooting, he can still be a valuable asset at the right price for a championship-contending team.

The Clippers seemed destined to trade Westbrook once he opted into his deal. With the departure of Paul George, L.A. is entering a new era and didn’t see value in keeping Westbrook for another season. They will acquire Kris Dunn, who was selected fifth overall in the 2016 draft by the Timberwolves and has since played for the Bulls, Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Jazz.

Experience Prevails

League sources indicate that the Nuggets were eager to add Westbrook if he became available, as they need a veteran backup point guard to bring energy and defense after losing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Jackson in free agency. “I think we need some help in the backcourt,” Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth said. “We are going to try to continue to identify that and survey the market. We have a roster spot left, and I think if we can add a high-level guard, we will be happy with that.”

Westbrook opted into his $4 million contract last month, but Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank recently spoke with Westbrook’s agent to find the right fit for the nine-time All-Star after Paul George left for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

Frank emphasized the Clippers have “great respect” for Westbrook, calling him a “tremendous f—ing player, Hall of Fame player.”

Westbrook started last season as the Clippers’ point guard but moved to a sixth-man role after LA traded for James Harden, leading to a 26-5 run during their best stretch. He also posted career-lows with 4.5 assists and 22.5 minutes per game but delivered some of the best defense of his career, ranking fourth in field goal percentage allowed among players contesting 300 or more shots last season, according to Second Spectrum tracking.

Westbrook often paired with George, his former Thunder teammate and friend, on the court. The Clippers are now moving forward with Kawhi Leonard and Harden, while adding defensive-minded players like Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., and Nicolas Batum in free agency.

Benching Concerns

The 35-year-old was mostly in a reserve role for the Clippers this past season, appearing in 68 games with 11 starts, and he averaged a career-low in points per game.

“I’d like to share some of my actual thoughts with Clipper nation and all of my fans,” he continued. “It’s a difficult time for a lot of people due to certain expectations that have been placed on them. Therefore, it’s understandable that there is pressure to plant stories or point the finger for what many would classify as a disappointing end to our season.

“I for one enjoyed my year and worked hard to bring the energy and provide a spark for our team with each opportunity I was given,” he acknowledged. “I felt that I was and remain more than willing to take on new roles and make certain sacrifices in the hope that it would make our team better. I hoped for a different outcome, but I also enjoyed being in the trenches with my teammates this year, who have all been supportive of me throughout the season.”

Paul Pierce wants to see Westbrook start, shifting Jamal Murray to shooting guard. This would result in Christian Braun, who is the favorite for the starting role but hasn’t been guaranteed it, coming off the bench.

Pierce commented, “Russ is at a point in his career where I know he wants to win a championship. He’s done everything possible in basketball. He’s been MVP, he’s been to the Finals, and had countless triple-double seasons.”

The Nuggets will give Westbrook a legitimate chance to play a significant role on a title contender, having won the 2023 NBA Championship over the Miami Heat.

Pierce added, “I like this move with Russ starting alongside Jamal Murray at the two. I think they can still be strong contenders as long as Joker is playing at an MVP level.”

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Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and starting pitcher Luis Gil dominated in May, earning them well-deserved accolades.

Monday morning, Judge was honored as the AL Player of the Month, while Gil earned both AL Rookie and Pitcher of the Month awards.

Judge’s Explosive May: A Historic Performance

After a lackluster April, Aaron Judge exploded in May, batting .361 with a 1.397 OPS, bolstered by a .479 on-base percentage. He also hit 15 home runs in 30 games, putting him on a 162-game pace of 81 home runs.

Judge’s May surge was both impressive and incomprehensible. He consistently barreled the baseball with a frequency rarely seen in MLB history. Over 97 at-bats in May, Judge posted a barrel percentage of 47.8 percent. In other words, nearly half of his batted balls were barreled up. This level of precision is extraordinary.

For context, during his record-breaking 2022 season with 62 home runs, Judge’s highest monthly barrel percentage was 32.3 percent. In his 2017 Rookie of the Year campaign, his peak was 36.1 percent in September. The MLB league average for barrel percentage is over seven percent.

Judge’s blend of power and plate discipline in May was remarkable. Katie Sharp noted that Judge is one of only four players in MLB history to record over 25 extra-base hits and draw over 22 walks in a calendar month, joining legends like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, and Jimmie Foxx. Judge and Ty Cobb (in 1921) hold the record for most extra-base hits in May, with 26.

The turnaround from Judge’s tepid April to his scorching May was remarkable. At the start of May, Judge was tied for 60th in the league in WAR. By the end of the month, he was first in all of baseball, a meteoric rise in just 31 days. Judge now leads the league in home runs, slugging percentage, wRC+, and walk rate.

In terms of wRC+, where 100 is the league average, Judge posted a 282 wRC+ in May. The next highest was Jose Ramirez at 195.

Was it one of the best months of baseball ever? Not exactly. Babe Ruth posted a higher OPS in July 1920, and Barry Bonds had nearly five better months between 2001 and 2004. However, it could be argued that it was Judge’s best month ever, surpassing his final month of 2017 and any month in 2022. It was a special month by a special player, perhaps deserving even more appreciation than it has received.

Kicking off June, Judge is already 4-for-6 with a home run, three walks, and three runs scored. We might be back here in a month for another chat about his incredible performance.

2 in 1 Gil

Luis Gil received his first career Pitcher of the Month award, becoming the first Yankee to earn the honor since reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole won it last April. Gil also joins an elite group as the fifth pitcher in MLB history, and the fourth in the AL, to win both the Pitcher and Rookie of the Month awards in the same month. He follows the Angels’ Matt Shoemaker (August 2014), the Rays’ Chris Archer (July 2013), the Rays’ Jeremy Hellickson (May 2011), and the Marlins’ Dontrelle Willis (June 2003).

Over six starts, the right-hander went unbeaten with a 6-0 record and an impressive 0.70 ERA (3 ER/38.2 IP). He allowed just 14 hits, issued 12 walks, and struck out 44 batters, resulting in a 0.67 WHIP and a .109 opponents’ batting average, averaging 10.24 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. The 26-year-old led the Majors in wins, opponents’ average, and WHIP, ranked second in ERA and innings pitched, and third in strikeouts.

Gil’s standout performance included a career-high 8.0 innings pitched on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, allowing just one run on two hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. This dominant start lowered his ERA to 1.99, a significant improvement from the 4.01 mark at the beginning of May.

On May 18, the rookie struck out 14 batters over 6.0 innings, setting a Yankees’ rookie record, surpassing the previous record of 13 strikeouts by Orlando Hernández on August 13, 1998. During this game, Gil recorded seven consecutive strikeouts from the fourth through the sixth inning.

Gil pitched at least 6.0 innings and allowed no more than one run in all six of his starts in May, joining Steve Kline (1972) as the only pitchers in Yankees history to achieve this feat in six consecutive starts. Overall, he is only the 14th pitcher since 1901 under the age of 26 to make at least six consecutive starts of 6.0 innings while allowing no more than one run.

Back-to-back with Soto 

On the same day Aaron Judge and Luis Gil received their monthly honors for May, outfielder Juan Soto was named American League Player of the Week.

This marks Soto’s second Player of the Week award this season and the fifth of his career.

In six games last week, the lefty dominated, hitting .435 with three homers, nine RBIs, three triples, four walks, and seven runs scored. He posted an impressive 1.000 slugging percentage and a .500 on-base percentage.

Soto capped off his stellar week with two home runs against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, including the go-ahead blast in the ninth inning.

For the season, Soto is slashing .322/.417/.614 with 17 home runs, 53 RBIs, 46 runs scored, and 40 walks, making a strong case for the AL MVP.

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