Michael Porter Jr. Nuggets
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The Warriors are the odds-on favorites to land Michael Porter Jr. if the Denver Nuggets trade him, according to Bovada.
Denver Nuggets‘ Western Conference rivals have emerged as betting favorites to trade for their sweet-shooting forward Michael Porter Jr. if they are going to break up their roster that fell short again in the playoffs.
Online sportsbook Bovada, per NBA Central, has the Golden State Warriors as a +300 favorite to add the sweet-shooting 6-foot-10 Nuggets forward, followed by the Chicago Bulls (+400) and the Los Angeles Lakers (+600).
The Orlando Magic (+700), Boston Celtics (+800), Los Angeles Clippers (+900), Portland Trailblazers (+900), Phoenix Suns (+1400) and Toronto Raptors (+1800) are also on the list.
Porter Jr. hinted at a potential shakeup in Denver after the Nuggets’ second-round loss Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Everyone in this locker room means a lot to me,” Porter said, per The Denver Post. “I’m not sure if it’ll be the same exact group next year. But whatever’s next for me, whatever’s next for this team, I know that the guys will be ready for it.”
Porter Jr. has two years left on his five-year, $207 million max deal. The Nuggets owe him $79 million over the next two seasons.
Shoulder Injury Limited Michael Porter’s Mobility
Porter Jr. had a disappointing series against the Thunder playing through his sprained left shoulder he sustained in their first-round win against the Clippers.
The 26-year-old forward’s scoring dipped to 7.4 points on 32.3% field goal shooting and 25% from the 3-point line against the Thunder after he averaged 18.2 points on 50.4% field goal shooting and 39.5% from the 3-point line in the regular season.
“I mean, I’m really devastated personally for just not being able to contribute how I wanted to and not being able to play the way I wanted to,” Porter Jr. told reporters after their season ended with a 125-93 Game 7 loss in Oklahoma City. “I felt a little helpless out there, like I’m trying, but I just can’t go rebound how I want to, I can’t box out how I want to.
“Even when I’m shooting, my shot has no real confidence in how my jumper’s feeling. Normally, it feels good every time it leaves my hand, and it wasn’t feeling that way. That’s hard because if you can’t do all the other little things and you also don’t feel comfortable shooting, it was tough for me mentally. But at the end of the day, I had a rough injury, that was kind of a longer injury, and I tried to play through it, but it is what it is.”
No Trade Value?
Porter Jr,’s poor showing in the postseason and the size of his contract makes him a negative asset in today’s NBA under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Bill Simmons of The Ringer hinted that the Nuggets will have a difficult time unloading Porter’s contract.
“So if he’s available, what are you actually getting for (Porter Jr.)?” Ryen Russillo asked Simmons.
“Bradley Beal,” Simmons said. “That was a joke … but yeah … you’re not shopping at Whole Foods or Bristol Farms (if you’re looking to trade Porter). You’re shopping at a pretty grossly kept grocery store when you’re shopping Michael Porter around … you’re picking up the ground beef going, ‘Oh, this might have been here for a while.’ That’s who you’re looking at.”