Projected Los Angeles Clippers rotation without Russell Westbrook in it

After a couple tumultuous seasons, Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Clippers have parted ways. He never felt particularly natural in a bench role, even if that is where Westbrook's skill set is best used these days. Once the Clippers acquired James Harden, the writing was on the wall for Westbrook — in part due to his own proclivities on the court.

Nobody can ever say Westbrook doesn't believe in himself. His desire for a more consistent, more involved role in Los Angeles was the league's worst-kept secret. Now, the nine-time All-Star and former MVP is heading to the Denver Nuggets.

On Thursday, Westbrook was dealt to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Kris Dunn, his Clippers replacement. Utah will waive Westbrook and his $4 million expiring contract, paving the way for his arrival in the Mile High City.

The Westbrook-Nuggets buzz has been percolating for a while. There were even reports of Nikola Jokic pushing the Denver front office behind the scenes, which is the first time we've heard of Jokic thinking about basketball during his summer off (maybe we should blame the Olympics). It's nice to think about Jokic sitting trackside in the Serbian countryside, watching the horse race, and dialing up Nuggets GM Calvin Booth to talk about Russell Westbrook.

For all the criticism Westbrook invites as a player, he's sure to contribute in Denver's second unit. The Nuggets need a spark, and Westbrook can provide a spark.

That said, the relationship was plainly stale in Los Angeles. It just wasn't a fit. So, now the Clippers move in a new direction. Let's break down the updated depth chart.

Projected Los Angeles Clippers depth chart after trading Russell Westbrook for Kris Dunn

This is a definite upgrade for the Clippers. Mileage varies on Westbrook's impact these days — his energy, live-wire athleticism, and relentless rim pressure certainly yield positive results at times — but with Kris Dunn, there's far more consistency. He's also one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, which the Clippers will benefit from.

The No. 5 pick pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Dunn took a roundabout route to his new three-year, $17 million contract in Los Angeles. The offensive hype coming out of Providence never panned out, but Dunn was passable last season in Utah. He made 36.9 percent of his 3s, averaged 3.8 assists to only 1.2 turnovers, and found a comfortable niche in Will Hardy's motion offense.

His quickness attacking downhill, applying rim pressure, and creating off of drives should play nicely in Los Angeles. He offers a real change of pace from James Harden, who takes a more deliberate, plodding approach to halfcourt creation (not that it isn't highly effective). Dunn is more comfortable off-ball than Russ, so he can share the court with Harden and handle challenging defensive assignments in crunch time.

Again, this is a huge upgrade for the Clippers.

Westbrook's inefficiency and ball-hoarding were too overpowering at times. He's a liability on defense, a box of chocolates on offense, and the elite positional rebounding only has so much value off the bench. That's not to say, again, that Westbrook cannot contribute. I think Jokic will make life much easier on him in Denver. But, in Los Angeles, with so much offensive airspace devoured by Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Paul George, there was never much use for Westbrook's careening rim attacks and infuriating mid-range jumpers.

This should be a win for all parties involved. Dunn is a rock-solid, well above-average backup point guard, and the Clippers' rotation is looking nicely balanced despite the inherent downgrade of losing an All-NBA forward.