Michael Porter Jr. trade buzz starts with Nuggets seeking improvement

The Denver Nuggets have had a frustrating season as the calendar gets ready to turn to 2025. Despite another heroic start from star center Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets sit at just 13-10 and are in the middle of a crowded mix in the Western Conference standings.

Despite already winning a trip of league MVP’s, this has arguably been one of the best stretches of play of Jokic’s career. Through 20 games this season, the big man is averaging 31.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. He consistently gives the Nuggets a chance to win games even as they deal with injuries and inconsistent play from some of the other pieces of the roster.

As a result, the Nuggets’ front office is getting antsy to try and return the Nuggets to championship contender status. In order to do so, they will likely need to make a trade in order to reach the league’s elite again. Any big deal that the Nuggets make would likely have to include Michael Porter Jr. because the Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon are ineligible to be moved after signing contract extensions this summer.

Porter has had a good season, but recent history suggests that his market may not be as big as one would think according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

“The limited trade market witnessed for months for New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram, who is also earning $36 million in the final year of his current contract and whose stats have always been gaudier than Porter’s, would suggest that Denver making the 26-year-old available would not automatically generate high call volume,” Stein reported.

Porter is playing out the third year of his five-year max extension that is paying him about $36 million this year and will be worth about $80 million over the final two years. He has the type of salary to match a big name on the trade market, but the Nuggets lack the assets around him to entice a lot of teams to swing a blockbuster trade.

Porter’s value has been felt this year with his shooting and rebounding. He is also a big body on defense that, while out of position at times, can be a big asset as a weak side help defender. If the Nuggets want to pull off a big move involving Porter, they will need to find a star that complements Jokic and can replace the impact that Porter has brought to the table this year.