The Nuggets’ offseason outlook is extremely murky, but one thing is crystal clear: any path to tangible change almost certainly lies with trading Michael Porter Jr. Nikola Jokic isn’t going anywhere, and an Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray trade would be fairly shocking. The only other player making enough money to return any meaningful salary is MPJ.
Porter Jr. is set to make over $38 million next season and over $40 million the following season on his current deal. On one hand, that’s a lot of money for a one-dimensional, one-way player with constant injury issues.
But on the other hand, this could be a good opportunity to buy low on a 26-year-old, 6’10” wing who possesses one of the league’s most coveted skills, elite movement shooting. Mike hasn’t developed into an all-around star player in Denver, but all it takes is one team to believe that ceiling still exists inside of Porter Jr.
Nuggets need team to get excited about MPJ
Bill Simmons voiced it on his most recent podcast, and it couldn’t be more true: the Nuggets need a team to get excited about Porter Jr. His value is at an all-time low right now, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. His contract is large enough that the Nuggets could turn him into two or three role players.
That added depth could make all the difference in the world, and if the team can improve in areas like shooting and defense, all the better. There are teams out there that could convince themselves that in the right situation, Porter Jr. could take a leap and become a legitimate second option on offense. It could be worth the risk, especially for a young, rebuilding team that may have expendable veteran role players to spare.
The other benefit of Porter Jr.’s large contract is that he could be the main piece in a trade for any type of star player. He certainly doesn’t have enough value to be the centerpiece of a deal for a superstar like Giannis, but if a lesser star were to become available, MPJ, a future first-round pick, and one or more of the Nuggets’ young players could at least get the conversation started.
Moving Porter Jr. for positive value will be a challenge
Sadly, the contract is likely more restrictive than helpful, and in this current CBA hellscape, there’s a very real chance that MPJ’s contract currently makes him a negative asset around the NBA. If there isn’t a team that values him and offers a package that will help the Nuggets compete for a title, it’s going to be hard for the team to make big changes.
The other stars aren’t moving, and the only other movable pieces with more than minimum salaries are borderline NBA players like Zeke Nnaji and Dario Saric. If Denver is moving those guys, they’ll certainly have to attach assets to return even a decent player.
Any upgrades this offseason are going to be very tough to come by for the Nuggets. It’s challenging, but not an impossible situation. But the key to opening up any kind of flexibility and really starting to reshape the roster around Jokic starts and ends with trading Porter Jr.