Boston Celtics: Fans Demand Paul Pierce to Follow Through on His Promise to Walk 20.2 Miles After the Game 2 Loss 22 Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics former player Paul Pierce walks onto the court before game two of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Nuggets: 1-Time NBA Champion Urges Team to Trade for DeMar DeRozan in Eye-Opening Take

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated May 28, 2025 8:26 AM ET

Former NBA champion Paul Pierce believes the Denver Nuggets are missing one elite shot creator, so he’s urging the team to engage the Sacramento Kings in a trade to solve their problem.

In the latest episode of KG Certified, Pierce proposed that the Denver Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. in exchange for DeMar DeRozan to give Nikola Jokic another reliable offensive weapon.

“For the next five years, if you got the best player, you got to put some pieces,” Pierce said via Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee . “I feel like if they had a DeMar DeRozan with that team right now, with Joker, he don’t need to be the best player or the second-best player every night. He is going to give you more than what Michael Porter Jr. gave you.”

Denver Nuggets: Former Head Coach Threw Shade at Nikola Jokic's MVP Case 3 Jan 17, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) shoots the basketball over Miami Heat forward Duncan Robinson (55) during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Porter averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 50/40/77 shooting splits across 77 regular season starts. However, his production dipped in the 2025 playoffs, only averaging 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 39.2 percent shooting.

Denver Nuggets announce big Russell Westbrook news

The Denver Nuggets recently announced that Russell Westbrook underwent right-hand surgery to “fix two breaks that happened during the season,” per Law Murray of The Athletic.

May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) runs down the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second quarter during game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“This morning, I’m undergoing surgery on my right hand to fix two breaks that happened during the season,” Westbrook wrote. “I’m grateful for everyone’s support all year, and I can’t wait to be back out there at 100% soon. The comeback is already in motion. #WhyNot”

After earning roughly $3.3 million in 2024-25, Westbrook will likely exercise his $3.5 million player option for 2025-26. The one-time league MVP averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 39.1 percent shooting this postseason.