The Denver Nuggets have to make big roster changes.
Nikola Jokić doesn’t have enough talent around him for Denver to be a real contender. Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun are winning pieces that the Nuggets should hold onto, but everyone else, including Russell Westbrook and Michael Porter Jr., can go.
Since Denver’s title in 2023, Porter Jr. has steadily declined on the wing. At this point, the Nuggets likely regret inking Porter Jr. to a five-year, $179.3 million deal in 2021, a contract that keeps the 26-year-old with the team through 2026-27; that is, unless Denver can find a trade for him.
The problem is, NBA front offices are well aware of Porter Jr.’s descent.
On Sunday, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo wondered what kind of trade return the Nuggets could get for Porter Jr. during a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
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“So if he's available, what are you actually getting for (Porter Jr.)?” Russillo asked Simmons.
“Bradley Beal,” Simmons joked.
“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.”
It sounds like the best move for the Nuggets might be to just keep Porter Jr. until his deal expires.
2024-25 was a trying season for Denver. The Nuggets front office fired Mike Malone 79 games into the season, a league record for the latest firing of a head coach by a playoff team.
There are no easy answers in sight for Denver from a team-building standpoint this summer. At least the Nuggets brought home a championship in 2023 and still boast the best player in the world on their roster.
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