Nuggets Acquire New Star Player From Bulls In Proposed Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Svyato Rovenchuk | Last updated Dec 24, 2024 3:37 PM ET

Michael Porter Jr. has seen his name floated around in NBA trade rumors a considerable bunch this season. He seems like the odd man out for the Denver Nuggets at the moment.

To the credit of Porter, this situation has a little less to do with him than it does with the Nuggets as a whole. The big contract of the Nuggets forward is certainly a major factor in how limited Denver is with regard to feasible moves they can make to improve the roster. However, Porter is only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

The 26-year-old is averaging a career-high with 18.3 points per game, while shooting the second-best field goal percentage (51.8) he has ever had in the NBA. It is still worth asking whether that production matches his cap hit that is estimated to be close to $36 million this season.

The Nuggets record of 16-11 on the season does not reflect that of a true contending team, especially in a loaded Western Conference. This is without even mentioning how poor the team looks when superstar Nikola Jokic is off the court.

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report recently suggested a trade that would push the Nuggets closer to championship contention, amid consistent rumors of using Porter as a piece to improve the team. The trade goes as follows.

Chicago Bulls receive: Zeke Nnaji, Michael Porter Jr.

Denver Nuggets receive: Zach LaVine.

The Nuggets have been one of the few teams to reportedly have their names linked to LaVine with significant interest. The Bulls have failed to move the two-time All-Star since this past summer.

LaVine is having a productive 2024-25 NBA season. The Bulls wing is averaging 21.7 points and 4.1 assists per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field and 43.6 from beyond the arc.

While there is little doubt that LaVine could find ample success offensively while playing beside Jokic, it is unclear how much further value he can bring other than his strong scoring punch and solid playmaking.

The Nuggets need a kick in the can to get back into the title race. However, there should be some skepticism around whether this would be it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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