Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter Jr. extension should be next order of business
The Denver Nuggets have one more big move to make this offseason.
The Denver Nuggets have been on the cusp of something special as of late and you can’t help but feel like last year was somewhat of the perfect storm for the team, until Jamal Murray was lost for the season due to injury.
Nevertheless, assuming the team could get a healthy Murray back soon, the Nuggets should be a problem once again in the Western Conference this season. Whether they’ll be a championship contender or not depends on health, mostly.
That’s because the Nuggets will, once again, have all hands on deck this season.
Nikola Jokic, the reigning league MVP, will look to finish the task this season of winning a championship, the team just finished agreeing to a contract extension with Aaron Gordon, re-signed Will Barton, and added Jeff Green to replace Paul Millsap.
With eyes on a championship this season, there is one more offseason duty that the Nuggets need to take care of – agreeing to a contract extension with Michael Porter Jr.
The Denver Nuggets need to lock up Michael Porter Jr.
Even though it’s something that both sides believe will eventually happen, the Nuggets need to figure out how to get it done and over with before the season so it doesn’t become any bit of a distraction during the year.
MPJ is one of the bright young stars in today’s game and could very well be, in his final evolution, the final piece of the puzzle for the Nuggets. He’s an extraordinary offensive talent and while he has some catching up to do on the defensive side of the ball, the sky is the limit for him.
MPJ is coming off a fantastic sophomore season in which he averaged 19 points and seven rebounds on 54 percent shooting from the field and 45 percent shooting from 3-point range. He became an even more important player when Murray went out with an injury and that will likely continue to be the case, at the very least, to start the season.
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The Nuggets should be on the shortlist of true contenders in the Western Conference this season. Even with Murray recovering from an injury to start the year, the Nuggets will be extremely dangerous. And a big reason why is MPJ. It’s time for the Nuggets to lock him up, securing his long-term future with the club.