Do Nuggets want to trade Michael Porter Jr.?

The perception of the 2024-25 Nuggets becomes a case study of optimism vs. pessimism.

Are you a glass-half-full person? So when the Nuggets improved to 14-10 with their latest miracle this week in Sacramento, you were probably thinking about the remarkable number of defining moments they’ve conjured from a refreshing variety of sources in such a small portion of this season.

They probably looked at Jamal Murray’s game-winning rebound with 8.6 seconds left. Maybe it reminded you of Murray’s game-winning layup in Toronto with 0.3 seconds left. Or Nikola Jokic’s crucial baby hook with 8.1 left in Brooklyn. Or Julian Strawther’s crucial contested layup with 1:09 left at home in Denver. Or Michael Porter Jr.’s game-winning win with 6.1 seconds left against Dallas, or Peyton Watson’s last-second block on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or any of the other small moments that marked Denver’s four double-digit fourth-quarter comeback victories in this one Season.

Are you a person whose glass is half empty? Then the moment you remember from Sacramento was more likely the final play after Murray’s shot, when DeMar DeRozan fumbled a pass from Domantas Sabonis that might have led to a game-winning layup. You’ve probably thought about how close the Nuggets came to losing so many of their most compelling wins. How the Raptors missed two free throws in the final 20 seconds while trying to protect the lead, how RJ Barrett’s game-winning attempt in the rematch was halfway through before emerging at the buzzer. How Dorian Finney-Smith missed a wide-open corner three-pointer in Brooklyn as time expired, or how Kyrie Irving waited for his final shot to finally miss after amassing 43 points.

The first quarter of this season was, well, a lot to process. And the answers are still not entirely clear.

For this reason, the Nuggets tend to exercise patience before making any changes to their roster. The NBA trade season unofficially began on December 15, the date on which free agents acquired this summer became trade-eligible. But it doesn’t end until February 6th. By then, Denver will have played 51 games. As of this week, according to league sources, the Nuggets are open to the idea of ​​adding depth or star power before the trade deadline, but their preferred outcome is to be sure not to make a big trade.

Who can the Nuggets be traded with?

Denver is currently $5.6 million above the first tax apron and $5.1 million below the second apron. The team has a tough second-line backcourt this season, having used the taxpayer’s mid-level exemption to sign Dario Saric. As a first-round team, the Nuggets can combine salaries in a trade, but they cannot take back more salary than they send out.

Before thinking about who you might get, it’s helpful to know who you’re okay with giving up. This is the part where Ebenezer Scrooge shows up to point out how limited the options are in Denver. Bah Humbug to your trading wish lists.

Here are the eight most expensive players on the roster (based on their salaries this season) and their trade eligibility.

Nikola Jokic, $51.4 million: His name wasn’t even worth mentioning. Just a formality. He is “entitled,” but he is not justified.

Jamal Murray, $36 million: Not tradeable until the 2025 offseason due to a signing restriction. Murray signed a four-year, maximum $208.5 million contract extension in September.

Michael Porter Jr., $35.9 million: Denver’s only tradeable player with a salary over $10 million this season.

Aaron Gordon, $22.8 million: Not tradeable until the 2025 offseason due to a signing restriction. Gordon signed a four-year, $133 million contract extension in October.

Zeke Nnaji, $8.9 million: Approved for trading, but the trading value is low. Nnaji is in the first season of a second four-year, $32 million contract as he continues to move in and out of the rotation. On the bright side, unlike last season, Denver does not face a poison pill restriction that results in a player’s incoming salary being counted as greater than his outgoing salary after he signs a rookie extension. This made it nearly impossible to trade Nnaji last season.

Dario Saric, $5.2 million: Approved for trading, but the trading value is low. Saric signed with midfielder Denver in July. He has a player option for the next offseason, then his contract runs for another year. He has played in 10 of the first 24 games, averaging 13.6 minutes.

Russell Westbrook, $3.3 million and Christian Braun, $3.1 million: Eligible for trade, but the Nuggets desperately need quality rotation players on affordable contracts. With Braun (starter) and Westbrook (sixth man), that’s exactly what they have, at least for this season and next.

In other words, if the Nuggets want to acquire someone expensive enough to definitely improve their rotation, Porter is the only player with a suitable contract and clear trade value. The skepticism about his injury history is justified, but his back operations are increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Since the start of last season, Porter has appeared in 117 of 118 games, including the playoffs. He is averaging 18.5 points (his best performance in four years), 7.1 rebounds and a career-high 2.8 assists while shooting 51% from the floor. He leads the team in total playing time this season.

The Nuggets are not at all interested in trading the 26-year-old Porter, but the reality is that he would have to be involved in certain deals. His combination of shots and length was crucial to the success of Denver’s starting lineup. The team had extension discussions with him earlier this season, a source told The Post, confirming a report from The Athletic.

How would a Zach LaVine trade work?

Porter’s current contract could be used in a number of ways: one to bring in multiple players at lower salaries and the other to go after big game. The Nuggets briefly discussed the possibility of trading Paul George last summer, a deal that would have combined Porter’s salary with Nnaji’s. The same combination would likely be necessary to complete a trade for Bulls guard Zach LaVine, whose 2024-25 salary is $43 million with two years remaining. The Nuggets have discussed the possibility of trading LaVine, among other goaltenders and wingers, this season, sources confirmed to The Post this week.

But the 29-year-old represents the type of acquisition that would shake up a starting lineup that Denver isn’t sure needs shaking up yet.

He’s having a resurgent season, but his trade value around the league reportedly remains low. He played only 25 games in the 2023-24 season, which was his lowest scoring season since 2017-18. If the market is dry, the Bulls may have to make concessions, such as taking on Nnaji’s contract in order to get a player three years younger than him in Porter. The Nuggets could make their own concessions to get out of Nnaji’s contract. The draft capital is minimal. Their 2031 first-round pick is available, but even that is hampered by pick protections with a first-rounder from Oklahoma City. It would be tricky to part with the pickaxe.

From a pure basketball perspective? Swapping Porter for LaVine would impact position size, rebounding and lineup continuity. But it would add a source of off-the-dribble shot creation, which could be valuable to the Nuggets if they hope to reduce their reliance on Jokic by the playoffs. The three-time MVP is averaging career bests in both goals and assists. LaVine is a talented isolation scorer who could provide a solution to Jokic’s rest minutes. He could also become the latest example of a former first option benefiting from playing alongside the Serbian center reminiscent of Aaron Gordon. He’s already averaging 21.7 points this season and shooting 42.8% on more than seven 3-point attempts per game.

The Nuggets have legitimate reason to believe LaVine could improve the team by improving offensive versatility.

Nevertheless, it is always risky to interfere with a proven core. Denver’s starting lineup has a net rating of 13.0. And the Nuggets have been encouraged by a string of consecutive wins and a recent surge in production from Murray. In his first nine games this season, he averaged 17.3 points, 5.4 assists and shot 30.2% from the 3-point line. Since then, he has averaged 19.4 points and 6.6 assists in 10 games while shooting 39% from three.

Other trading partners?

There are a lot of mediocre or bad teams, especially in the East, that could be viable trade partners. Atlanta has several players and contracts that would make sense in Denver, including De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Larry Nance Jr. and Onyeka Okongwu. Cam Johnson from Brooklyn has obvious appeal and is considered a popular target among the candidates. Aside from LaVine, Chicago (led by former Nuggets GM Arturas Karnisovas) has intriguing backup players like Ayo Dosunmu.