5. Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
With how inconsistent the Denver Nuggets have been to start this season, making a bold move at the NBA Trade Deadline may not be the first initial option for the team but it has to be a path that may be worth exploring. Depending on how the Nuggets continue to look over the next couple of months, there could be some in the front office who believe making a bold in-season trade may be the only option as the team looks to salvage the championship build around Nikola Jokic.
Jokic is going to be 30 years old by the time the playoffs roll around and at the center position, who knows how many more prime years he'll have at his disposal. For a big man, there's no guarantee that Jokic will be able to age gracefully and at any given moment, one injury could completley derail his career. The last thing the Nuggets need is to waste a season of his prime, especially when there's no guarantee how many more he has left. With the way this season has begun, a big move at the trade deadline can't be counted out.
Odds of a Michael Porter Jr. trade: 36%
If a big trade is a path the Nuggets want to take, it's almost a certainty that they'd have to part ways with Michael Porter Jr. And considering they were in talks with the LA Clippers about a potential Paul George trade, which would've included MPJ, it's pretty clear that the Nuggets aren't going to shy away from exploring such a move. Whether they find a trade target that is worth trading MPJ is an entirely different story. However, it's pretty safe to assume that the Nuggets would be willing to make such a move if it would tangibly change their championship outlook for the season.
Again, finding the right trade target could prove to be difficult. However, in theory, if the Nuggets would have to trade MPJ, I don't believe they would hesitate in pulling off such a move. After all, if the Nuggets could theoretically trade MPJ for another championship run, they'd almost certainly have to do it. They owe it to Jokic and the rest of this championship core. I wouldn't say there's a huge chance of this happening but it has to be something that has already been discussed behind closed doors.