In the aftermath of the shocking firings of Head Coach Michael Malone and General Manager Calvin Booth, more and more details are starting to reveal themselves about the dysfunction and disagreements between the front office, coaching, and ownership.
Earlier today, Jake Fischer, on Marc Stein's Substack, revealed another interesting wrinkle about the Nuggets' internal affairs. According to the People's Insider, the Nuggets are unlikely to ever go in on a Michael Porter Jr. trade because of orders coming in from upstairs.
Fischer wrote: "The Kroenkes have a fondness for Porter that stems from deep ties to their shared alma mater: Missouri. Sources with knowledge of Denver's thinking have maintained for some time that they struggled to envision ownership ever approving a deal that would send Porter away from the franchise.”
Whether you are of the idea that the Nuggets should keep their 6'10 sniper and protect the core of the 2023 Title team, or you believe his streakiness and weaker than tissue paper defense is becoming a liability, there's no disputing that the Kroenkes have certainly been making a huge impact on future roster decisions. While it's not necessarily uncommon to have owners meddling in affairs, this particular situation is a bit puzzling.
Kroenkes loyal to MPJ due to Missouri ties
Stan and Josh Kroenke both attended the University of Missouri, and Josh actually played basketball for the Tigers from 1999 to 2004. Having family ties to a university makes their attachment to the Tigers strong, and that is more than understandable. But if this report is true, and they are hanging on to a potential trade piece because the guy played for their alma mater? Well, that's just silly.
For one, Porter Jr. is anything but a staple amongst the history of Missouri basketball. The injury riddled Porter got on the floor for only three games during his one and done season at Mizzou, and he played a combined 53 minutes. MPJ is about as much of a Tiger legend as Thomas Bryant is a Nuggets legend.
If the Kroenkes are really letting this affect their decision making, they are meddling in something much bigger than a Tiger brotherhood.
Getting off Porter's contract might be the only way the Nuggets can restructure their team this offseason in a way that keeps them in contention in the rapidly improving West.
Future question marks
Last week, Josh Kroenke officially took over as the head of basketball operations and the team has stated they will conduct a search for a new General Manager in the offseason (Fingers crossed it's a Tim Connelly reunion).
If I'm a potential candidate, and I know my bosses aren't going to let me dump Porter, do I want to take the job? The Nuggets ownership has shown they don't want to pay the luxury tax, and Porter's gargantuan contract makes any sort of roster flexibility close to impossible as the Nuggets continue to navigate the dreaded second apron.
While the Nuggets look reinvigorated after the firing of Michael Malone, their title odds are still dim at best. Regardless of what happens, there is a lot of work to be done after the season to retool a roster that is void of the two way players that make contenders like Boston and Oklahoma City truly scary. To do that, Denver will have to shake things up in a major way, and that probably means getting rid of Porter.
Moving forward, Josh Kroenke has to ask himself what's more important: Tiger ties, or another championship? If the Nuggets want to be taken seriously for the rest of Joker's prime, he'd better get his priorities straight.