NBA trade rumors have been buzzing around all season and heated up to a near-boiling point in recent weeks. Perhaps surprisingly, the Denver Nuggets have been one of the most talked-about teams and one that seems to be connected to almost every player on the market.
It makes sense; the Nuggets are in the heart of what should be a championship window in Nikola Jokic’s prime. Yet, their talent around Jokic has been depleted and they’ve underwhelmed this season. They’re built to win now, but to do so, they are likely going to need some upgrades to the roster.
But the Nuggets are also in a tough spot; they are almost devoid of assets and tradeable salary. With all the restrictive rules in the current CBA, things have gotten very tricky for Denver. One common theme remains in all trade rumors: all paths lead to Michael Porter Jr.
MPJ is the only player on the Nuggets with any positive value and a big enough salary to chase a star-caliber player. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are ineligible to be traded, Jokic obviously isn’t going anywhere, and nobody else on the roster makes more than $8.8 million this season. If they are going to make a meaningful trade, Michael Porter Jr. is going to be in the deal.
Windhorst: Porter Jr. could be available in right deal
On Monday, Brian Windhorst of ESPN broke down the top 15 contenders in the league based on their needs, assets, and likelihood of making a deal. He identified the Nuggets’ biggest roster holes as depth and shooting and described their chances of making a deal as “possible”.
Windy stated that they have had talks involving Porter Jr. that showed they are at least “mulling a shake-up” to the core of the team. Denver has been connected to a number of players, most notably Zach LaVine of the Bulls, but Windhorst wrote that those talks are now dormant.
Nuggets realizing that keeping MPJ is their best bet
Things can certainly change in a hurry but the Nuggets have realized that for now, their best move is no move at all. The players that are available are good, but they all have flaws. Zach LaVine has a huge contract, he’s injury-prone, and a poor defender.
Jimmy Butler’s contract situation is a mess, he’s 35 and comes with more baggage than an airport conveyor belt. Brandon Ingram wants a massive extension and doesn’t shoot nearly enough three-pointers. Bradley Beal has looked like a shell of himself this season and may have the worst contract in the entire NBA.
Meanwhile, Porter Jr. has been getting better and better in almost every facet of the game. He’s taken a legitimate leap this season on both ends and you could make a strong case he’s now the Nuggets’ second-best player after Jokic.
He’s still just 26 years old, his contract is looking more and more reasonable by the day, and he provides a size/skill combo with his shooting at 6’10” which is extremely rare and coveted. Plus there is reliability and consistency with Mike.
He has spent his entire career in Denver, playing with Jokic and Jamal Murray since being drafted in 2018. He has become shockingly durable as well and is the only Nugget to appear in every single game so far this season (after playing in 81 last season). His synergy and chemistry with his teammates is outstanding and continues to get better.
On top of all that, Porter Jr. is very comfortable in his role. He has taken on more this year, but he also knows his role and he’s happy to play it. He spends most of the game spacing the floor and waiting for catch-and-shoot opportunities. He could likely do more but has never made the slightest complaint.
Sure, there’s a chance that trading MPJ for one of the aforementioned players could improve the team, but it seems more likely that the move would derail it. As the days go on, trading MPJ makes less and less sense.