The reactions to the Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr.-Cam Johnson trade with the Nets have changed drastically over the past nine months. There are the people who thought it was a homerun who turned around and wished the team could go back and undo it a few weeks into the season, as MPJ acclimated well to his new surroundings, while it took Johnson longer (and then he got hurt). What a lot of those people overlooked was the financial flexibility it gave the team.
Freeing up around $17 million in cap space this season allowed Denver to round out the roster by signing Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown, as well as trade for Jonas Valančiūnas.
As the Nuggets learned over the past couple of years, depth is kind of important for a team with championship aspirations.
Nuggets wouldn't have their depth without Michael Porter Jr. trade
Hardaway finished the regular season averaging 13.5 points in 80 games, shooting a career-high 40.7% from three on 6.9 attempts per contest. He outplayed his $3.63 million salary for this season.
Then there's Bruce, whose production was down from his first season with the Nuggets, but as he's said, he's in a different role. That doesn't mean he's invaluable, as having him to turn to off the bench is important. His three-point shooting turned a corner in March, when he shot 43.8%, and that carried over to April, as he shot 50%.
Oh, and did I mention that he played in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in his career? That alone was a major plus for a team that couldn't stay healthy otherwise.
Valančiūnas' role began to diminish in March, when he averaged just 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game. There have been questions about whether he should even be part of the playoff rotation because of his defensive deficiencies.
Still, this is a man who ended the season with two monster performances against OKC and San Antonio. Yes, it wasn't against the same Thunder and Spurs that the Nuggets could see in the postseason, but being able to turn to Valančiūnas if needed is still a positive.
So, if you've still been wishing that Porter were around, it would've come at a cost (more than one). It's not just about the depth, either, as Cam is healthy and riding some much-needed momentum entering the playoffs. Contrary to what some thought, he does know how to play basketball.
Last season, after the Thunder eliminated the Nuggets, Nikola Jokić noted how teams still alive had long benches. Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace heard that loud and clear, giving Denver one, too. The added depth has already paid off with all of the injuries, but we're about to see it really pay off.
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