5 players Denver Nuggets might replace Michael Porter Jr. with by the trade deadline

2.) Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

The former Nugget, Grant could be due for a return at some point. He’s a bit out of place in Portland, the veteran star on a young, rebuilding team. The Blazers may finally be ready to move on from Grant and see what they can get in return for their most desirable asset.

We already know how Grant would fit in Denver and he’d give them another long rangy wing who can play inside and out. He’d bring much more defense than Porter Jr., but would likely sacrifice a bit on the offensive end - he’s nowhere near the shooter that MPJ is.

But some could argue that would be a wise trade-off for the Nuggets. The offense will be close to elite as long as Jokic and Murray are on the court. If they can bring in another plus defender and get their defense up to top 5-10 levels in the league, they could have a well-rounded juggernaut type of team.

Dealing for Grant would hurt the Nuggets even more as a three-point shooting team, but they could really lean into what they do best and bludgeon teams with their size and skill. It’s not a perfect fit, but it could improve the team’s overall ceiling and help them get off of the MPJ contract without making the team worse in the interim.