TO IMPROVE, SHOULD NUGS TRADE PORTER?
Are the Nuggets future NBA champs? Or is this a mismatched roster that center Nikola Jokic can hold together only so long before blowing a gasket?
All you need are three little words to start a heated debate on Denver’s true championship potential:
Michael Porter Jr.
When MPJ splashes a shot from beyond the 3-point arc with an artistic touch that rivals the master strokes of Steph Curry, I can close my eyes and imagine Joker, a healthy Jamal Murray and the Nuggets leading a championship parade through downtown in the not-too-distant future.
But when savvy Phoenix veteran Chris Paul makes MPJ play the fool on defense, it makes me fear the 22-yearold forward is so lacking in many basketball instincts that Porter will drive coach Michael Malone into early retirement if not an early grave.
Should Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly begin drawing up a five-year, $168 million maximum contract for Porter? Or before Denver commits big money to a shooter with a sketchy handle and obvious defensive liabilities, should Connelly shop MPJ in trade?
Before Murray went down with a season-ending knee injury in April, the Nuggets believed they had as good a chance as any team to win the Larry O’brien Trophy during a pandemictinged year in which the NBA placed re-establishment of revenue streams ahead of player health, resulting in playoffs that now seem to be little more than survival of the fittest.
But if there’s any blessing to be derived from an injured Murray being limited to firing one-legged jumpers during warm-ups throughout two rounds of the postseason, it’s these sobering realizations:
Forward Aaron Gordon is little more than an expensive role player, not a foundational piece on a legit contender.
Without a solid rim protector behind MPJ, there might not be anywhere for Malone to hide him when opposing coaches begin fine-tuning their strategy over the course of a seven-game playoff
series.
Craving financial appreciation and a more extensive role, guard Will Barton might walk out of Denver and not look back, the same way Jerami Grant did a year ago.
With little realistic hope of Murray returning to peak efficiency until after the calendar flips at least a month or two into 2022, next season promises more serious heavy lifting for Jokic, who wisely declined to join the Serbian national team and seek another Olympic medal this summer to allow his body some badly needed rest.
The Nuggets will be entertaining, so long as Joker wears the team’s uniform. But legit championship contenders? That seems like a stretch.
It feels as if this roster has too many defensive holes and lacks veteran savvy for the rigors of a playoff run to the NBA Finals. Even if Murray had been healthy, it wouldn’t have made the Nuggets better than Phoenix.
The lengthy rehab process for Murray makes it impossible for the Nuggets to simply run it all back with any certainty this group will play better basketball. So Connelly must now decide if he wants to do more than tinker with personnel.
With Jokic untouchable and Murray on the mend, the lone way Denver could seriously reshape the roster would be to use MPJ as a trade chip. His elite ability to score is beyond question, but it’s also fair to point out his offensive efficiency is greatly enhanced by playing alongside Jokic. Porter has not been required to put a team on his back, and it remains to be seen if he possesses the emotional strength or skeletal integrity to carry such a heavy load.
Forward Zion Williamson might be a freak of nature. But he isn’t strong enough to change the Pelicans’ losing culture in New Orleans and his loved ones have reportedly encouraged him to find a new basketball home.
Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, headed toward free agency in 2022, is the trade rumor that refuses to go away. He would be the perfect complement to Jokic and Murray.
If Connelly could get the attention of Washington or New Orleans and start a conversation about Williamson or Beal by mentioning the name of MPJ, should the Nuggets’ boss do it?
In a heartbeat.