For his last few years with the Nuggets, there were always Michael Porter Jr. trade rumors in the peripherals, but last season, it felt like something actually could happen. There was a lot of smoke around a deal with the Bulls, and sure enough, Jake Fischer has now reported that the teams were in “serious discussions” before last trade deadline and that a LaVine deal was actually the “preferred path for several voices in Denver's front office.”
Obviously, that wasn’t the prevailing voice, and we know that the Kroenkes loved MPJ for his Missouri ties and helping the Nuggets win a title. We also know that Chicago was turned off by the idea of taking on Zeke Nnaji’s contract in any deal. Nothing ended up happening between the teams, and LaVine was eventually dealt to Sacramento while Denver shipped Mike to Brooklyn.
But it’s fascinating to wonder what could have been. The LaVine deal would have been closer to a one-for-one swap, as his game has looked similar for years on bad teams to what Porter Jr. has looked like this season for the Nets.
LaVine’s offense would have been an incredible addition to the Nuggets, but he may have been an awkward fit as a third option. There would have been a lot of overlap with him and Jamal Murray, and he’s injury-prone and a liability on defense.
Nuggets chose to turn MPJ into multiple players instead of one
Ultimately, the biggest difference in potential deals is that LaVine makes over $47 million this season and would have required the Nuggets to send back Mike plus more salary. Denver would be in a horrible contract situation and would have over $200 million tied up in their starting lineup.
In the offseason, the Nuggets would not have been able to add salary by signing guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, and they definitely would not have been able to take on money in a trade for Jonas Valanciunas.
The Nuggets may have made their starting lineup from last season slightly better, but their bench would be even worse. Instead, they chose to free themselves of the big contract and split Mike’s money among four different players.
So, while it would have been cool to see another offensive dynamo in LaVine playing with Jokic and Murray in Denver, the front office made the right choice, opting for depth, flexibility, defense, and versatility. Lord knows, with the recent run of injuries, we are certainly seeing the benefits of opting for a deeper roster.