Should Michael Porter Jr. be considered untouchable for the Denver Nuggets?
When the Denver Nuggets drafted Michael Porter Jr. towards the end of the draft lottery during the 2018 NBA Draft, many considered the pick as one of, if not, the biggest steals of the draft. Roughly two years later, that’s something that can’t be rebutted.
MPJ is coming off an impressive run in the NBA’s restart bubble and had various standout moments throughout Denver’s run to the Western Conference Finals.
During the seven seeding games that he played in during the bubble, MPJ averaged 22 points 8.5 rebounds per game on 55 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent shooting from 3-point range.
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He cooled off and was demoted back to a bench during the playoffs, but still averaged 11 points and seven rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. He had great moments in the postseason and the restart bubble.
So much so that the team has made it clear that MPJ will not be available in potential trade talks this offseason. Which naturally sparks the question, is this the right move for the Nuggets?
On one hand, this is a smart move. At the very least, even if the Nuggets aren’t sold on MPJ being a star, it wouldn’t make much sense for them to give up on him (per se) after just one full season back on the floor. MPJ has his faults on the defensive end (and hopefully, he can continue to work towards improvement on that end of the floor), but has shown to be an extremely impressive offensive talent.
He’s drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant due to his 6-foot-10 size and silky smooth scoring ability, but there is a huge gulf between the two on the other end of the floor – which is a big reason why Nuggets coach Mike Malone had to remove MPJ from the starting lineup midway through their first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.
Clearly, Denver views MPJ as a big part of this team’s future. But do they view him in the same light of its core two of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray who has exploded onto the NBA scene over the last few seasons? Both of those players are “untouchables” for the Nuggets and Murray certainly cemented that with his outstanding performance in the playoffs.
Looking at Denver’s salary situation, the Nuggets have Murray and Jokic under contract for the foreseeable future at roughly $31 million per season apiece. Looking forward, the Nuggets likely can only afford one of MPJ or Gary Harris moving forward beyond the 2022 season.
If the Nuggets are indeed considering MPJ an untouchable asset at this point in his career, that will have to mean that he will emerge or develop into that No. 3 for the Nuggets. Or at least Denver has that anticipation. And it’s hard to blame them.
With the way Michael Porter Jr. has looked during his first fully healthy season with the Nuggets, it’s easy to see why the team believes so much in their potential young star. From all indication, Michael Porter Jr. has become an untouchable asset for the Denver Nuggets. It remains to be seen if it’ll be a decision that pays off in the future or not.