Michael Porter Jr.

Northwest Notes: Jokic, MPJ, Blazers, Timberwolves

February 26th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Nikola Jokic continued to bolster his case for a fourth MVP award on Monday by racking up a career-high 19 assists in a road win over the Pacers.

Jokic, who grabbed nine rebounds in the victory, narrowly missed his 27th triple-double of the season, but the Nuggets star is now averaging a triple-double on the year, with 29.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per contest. If he can maintain those averages, it would be the first time in his career that he has averaged a triple-double for a full season.

“The guy is just an amazing, complete basketball player,” head coach Michael Malone said, per ESPN. “And I think the most remarkable thing is not just 19 assists, but the satisfaction and joy that Nikola gets from making his teammates better. … He’s a humble person and understands that this whole thing is always much bigger than the individual. It’s the collective.

“But 19? … What is that? … He’s just an incredible player. And what a luxury to have when you can just play through him down the stretch of a close game and you know something good is going to happen each and every time.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who missed the final three games before the All-Star break due to a minor hamstring injury, struggled upon returning last week, scoring 19 total points on 7-of-25 shooting (28.0%) in his first two games back. After contributing 19 points and 11 rebounds in Monday’s win over Indiana, Porter explained that he’s still working on getting his conditioning back to normal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “I hadn’t ran at all for those three games I missed before the break, and then over the break, I didn’t run, so the first time I really ran was that first game back (last Thursday),” Porter said. “Now I’m just kind of getting my wind back and getting my groove back. It’s still not ‘a hundred a hundred’ percent, but it’ll be back in probably the next couple of games.”
How do the Trail Blazers stack up against the NBA’s other rebuilding teams? Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report (Substack link) considers that question, evaluating how the Blazers compare to Brooklyn, Utah, Charlotte, Toronto, and Washington in terms of young talent, future draft assets, and a few other variables. Although the Blazers have a solid base of young talent, they don’t have a clear-cut franchise player, their cap sheet isn’t clean as some of the others, and it’s unclear whether Chauncey Billups will be their long-term answer at head coach, Highkin writes.
The Timberwolves pulled off arguably the most impressive comeback in franchise history on Monday, rallying from a 25-point deficit to knock off the West-leading Thunder in overtime. Chris Hine of The Star Tribune has the story on the improbable, galvanizing victory, exploring how the Wolves got crucial contributions from role players like Jaden McDaniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and rookies Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Braun, Clingan, Randle, DiVincenzo

February 20th, 2025 at 10:02pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook hasn’t played in February, having missed seven games before the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury. As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, that forced Christian Braun into the starting lineup, where he immediately played some of the best basketball of his career.

In Westbrook’s absence, Braun averaged 19.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 59% from the field. However, with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon unlikely to move to the second unit, it makes for a difficult decision with the starting lineup.

Westbrooks has started 27 of his 48 outings in 2024/25, averaging 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in total. When Gordon missed time with injury earlier this season, Westbrook and Braun started together. However, that is seemingly not going to be the case going forward, as Braun started alongside Jokic, Murray, Porter and Gordon for Thursday’s game.

“All I’ll say is that it’s great to have options,” coach Michael Malone said. “We have a healthy team, and obviously, Russell Westbrook’s done great things for us. Christian Braun, this last eight-game stretch, is playing just incredible basketball. And so people say, ‘Oh, that’s a tough decision.’ I look at it the opposite way. I’m really fortunate to have a tough decision to make where you have quality players that have really impacted winning. And that’s what it comes down to. It’s never about one player. It’s about what’s best for our team.”

In a separate piece, The Denver Post’s Sean Keeler writes that Braun starting is the correct decision, pointing to his impressive net rating in trios alongside Jokic and Murray.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets have placed no restrictions on Porter, Gordon or Westbrook coming out of the All-Star break, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Porter had been dealing with a hamstring injury while Gordon was putting up with a calf issue.
With Deandre Ayton out for at least three more weeks due to a calf strain, Trail Blazers rookie center Donovan Clingan is slated for the starting job, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian writes. Clingan said he’s “definitely ready” for a larger role. “I think this is going to be a really awesome stretch for him just to grow up and learn and play against starting centers,” head coach Chauncey Billups said. “But more importantly, for him to continue to man that glass. Be a beast on the glass. Protect our rim. And he’s doing a much better job of catching and finishing and also play-making when he needs to.”
Timberwolves offseason acquisitions Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo have both been dealing with injuries, but seem to be getting at least somewhat closer to a return. Randle has been dealing with a groin injury and missed the Wolves’ eight games leading into the break. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps (Twitter link), he was recently cleared for five-on-five practices. As for DiVincenzo, Bontemps adds that he’s now able to participate in non-basketball activities. DiVincenzo hasn’t played since Jan. 15 because of a toe injury.

Nuggets GM Calvin Booth Discusses Decision To Stand Pat At Deadline

February 7th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Luke Adams

One of five teams not to make a trade in the week leading up to Thursday’s deadline, the Nuggets explored the market in search of either a backcourt or a frontcourt addition, multiple sources tell Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, general manager Calvin Booth confirmed that the front office was seeking “overall depth and depth at the backup center (position),” Durando writes.

“We definitely liked some guys on the market and thought we had some traction in a couple different situations,” Booth said. “Whether other teams just beat us out with their offers or we just didn’t feel like it was the right use of our assets, a combination of those things led us to be where we’re at right now.”

Booth added that the Nuggets felt like they “either had to go big or do nothing,” though he subsequently clarified that – in his mind – a big move would’ve meant acquiring “a significant depth piece,” not necessarily an impact starter.

In fact, while Denver briefly entertained the possibility of a trade involving Michael Porter Jr. and Zach LaVine back in December, the team quickly moved on from considering a significant deal along those lines and was focused more on strengthening its bench, per Durando.

“I think we liked everything that was happening in our rotation, so we weren’t close to doing anything with anybody in our rotation,” Booth said. “It was gonna be some of the guys that are outside of it, like Dario (Saric) and Zeke (Nnaji), and using some of our draft assets to bolster our lineup as opposed to moving a bigger (salary) guy like Mike.”

Saric ($5.17MM) and Nnaji ($8.89MM) would have been logical salary-matching pieces for a player in the mid-level range. However, neither player has had a great season and both have guaranteed money left on their contracts beyond this season, so they would’ve been negative assets on the trade market.

The Nuggets also have an extremely limited collection of tradable draft picks left and are operating over the first tax apron, further complicating their efforts to upgrade the roster.

There was some speculation that the Nuggets might look to duck the first apron at the deadline in order to give themselves the opportunity to sign a player on the buyout market whose pre-waiver salary exceeds the mid-level exception. Booth confirmed the club considered that idea.

“It was an option,” Booth said. “Do we go get a guy on the trade market, or do we just get below (the first apron) and try to get one of these guys that’s potentially gonna on the buyout market that made above a certain number?”

Former Nugget Bruce Brown was considered a potential target in that scenario, but it wouldn’t have made sense for Denver to give up anything of value in a salary-dump trade unless the team was pretty confident about its chances to sign a specific player after the deadline. Brown was sent to the Pelicans and is reportedly not currently viewed as a buyout candidate.

While the Nuggets will be ineligible to sign Brown or anyone else currently earning more than $12.8MM who reaches free agency in the coming weeks, Booth didn’t rule out the idea of making a move on the buyout market, telling reporters that he believes “ownership is open to any conversation.” Denver would have to open up a spot on its 15-man roster to sign a free agent.

Nuggets’ Malone: “We’re Not Trading Michael Porter”

February 4th, 2025 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Michael Porter Jr. enjoyed his best game of the season on Monday, pouring in 36 points in 40 minutes en route to a 12-point victory over New Orleans. After the win, Nuggets head coach Michael Malone was asked if he’s touched base with Porter more frequently ahead of the February 6 deadline, given that the veteran forward has been the subject of trade rumors this season.

According to Malone, there has been no need to do so, since Porter isn’t going anywhere (story via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette).

“No, because we’re not trading Michael Porter,” Malone said (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). “So, I’m not touching base with anybody on that. I’m touching base with guys on better defense, better spacing, taking care of the ball. If there’s something coming, obviously (general manager) Calvin (Booth) will talk with me and I’m sure we’ll communicate with whatever players.

“But Michael is a really important piece. Michael helped us win a championship. We’ll see what happens going into this coming Thursday, but to my knowledge, there have been no conversations. I don’t feel the need to converse with somebody when there’s nothing there.”

Porter, who spoke to the media after Malone, said that his coach’s message is the same one he’s heard from the organization ahead of the deadline and told reporters, “From what I’ve heard, they’re not interested in moving me” (Twitter video link).

Pointing to the unpredictability of the NBA, he acknowledged that could change, but said he’s not stressing out about the possibility.

“As long as I’m here, I’m gonna be here, and I’m gonna be happy,” Porter said. “I’m gonna play hard and try to be available and try to help win games. If the day came where they wanted to trade me and they they wanted to go a different direction, then I’ll be excited for the new opportunity, but it’s not something I think about at all.”

After battling back issues earlier in his NBA career, Porter has been an iron man for Denver over the past two seasons, missing just one game since the start of the 2023/24 campaign. He’s having one of his best seasons a pro in ’24/25, putting up 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and a career-high 2.2 assists in 33.3 minutes per night, with a strong shooting line of .513/.408/.744.

Porter has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate because he’s the most expendable player of the four Nuggets earning more than $8.9MM this season (Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are the others). His $36MM cap hit would likely be required for salary-matching purposes for any sizable deal Denver wanted to make.

If Porter isn’t going anywhere, the Nuggets will likely explore smaller deals, possibly involving Zeke Nnaji ($8.9MM) and/or Dario Saric ($5.2MM), though both players are thought to have negative trade value due to their limited roles and multiyear contracts.

Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Westbrook, Gordon, MPJ, Fernandez

January 12th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and point guard Russell Westbrook recorded triple-doubles in the same game on Friday for the second time this season, leading the team to a victory over the shorthanded Nets.

As Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes, the duo made NBA history by become the first pair of teammates to have 25-point triple-doubles in the same regular season game. Jokic put up 35 points, 15 assists, and 12 rebounds, while Westbrook contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

“(Jokic) does a hell of a job making the game easy for everyone,” Westbrook said. “And since I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to do the same thing and find ways to be able to make the game easy for him and other guys. When we’re both doing that, our team is really good.”

Denver is 10-5 this season when Jokic registers a triple-double and 3-0 when Westbrook does so.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Westbrook has been an ideal fit so far in Denver, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who suggests that both the point guard and the team are benefiting from the arrangement — the Nuggets got a veteran leader who can take some pressure off of Jokic with his ball-handling and play-making, while Westbrook got a chance to play more like himself under a coach who believes in him. “I told him that I wanted him to challenge himself to be the best version of himself,” head coach Michael Malone said. “No offense to any of his past coaches, but if you put Russell Westbrook in the corner, you’re not getting the whole package. We’ve made an effort to get the ball into his hands quite a bit this season.”
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon appears to be on the verge of returning from the calf strain he aggravated on Christmas Day. After being upgraded to doubtful for Friday’s game, Gordon has been listed as questionable to suit up on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is having arguably the best season of his career, with averages of 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on .521/.415/.708 shooting through 37 contests (34.5 MPG). With that in mind, Durando explores in a Denver Post story (subscription required) whether trading Porter would help or hurt the club’s roster. The 26-year-old, who is earning $35.9MM this season, is considered Denver’s most logical trade chip if the team makes a bigger in-season deal, since the other Nuggets with eight-figure cap hits – Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Gordon – aren’t going anywhere.
Friday’s game between the Nets and Nuggets was the first time that former Nuggets assistant Jordi Fernandez returned to Denver to face his old team as a head coach. As Durando details for The Denver Post, Fernandez said that every year he spent with the Nuggets helped prepare him for his current position with Brooklyn, and his former players are happy to see him succeeding in his new role. “I think he’s doing a good job. I think guys are listening. Guys are playing hard for him,” Jokic said. “I think that’s really important for a coach. … They are trying to do the right thing. They are trying to do what he is probably telling them. So they have some kind of system, and it’s really cool to see. They’re in the beginning of the process, of course. Hopefully, they can grow.”

Heat Notes: Butler, Adebayo, Rozier, Riley, Porter Jr.

January 4th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler‘s standoff with the Heat is the NBA’s hottest story and has overshadowed everything else going on with the team, but Butler’s teammates will have to take the court without him beginning on Saturday vs. Utah as he begins serving his seven-game suspension. As Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays, Bam Adebayo spoke to reporters at today’s shootaround about the awkward spot he and his teammates find themselves in.

“It’s disappointing when you see the organization and a player going head to head like that,” Adebayo said. “But the rest of us got to figure out how to win games. So for me as captain, it’s worrying about the other guys and getting them locked in and ready to go to try to compete and win a game.”

Butler has been one of the Heat’s leaders since joining the team in 2019, but his days in Miami appear numbered. He won’t play in the next seven games and may have suited up for Miami for the last time. That means the rest of the roster has to prepare to move forward without him while leaning on its other veterans for stability.

“Obviously, we still have a great opportunity, a good basketball team. So we don’t want to get caught up in all the news that’s been going around,” Terry Rozier said. “But we have a great locker room. We got guys like (Kevin Love), a vet who’s always keeping guys on their toes and making guys laugh. We got a lot of great guys in there. So we move on and we’ll find out what’s best.

“It’s tough because that’s one of your locker room guys, that’s one of your teammates,” Rozier added. “So it sucks to see that he won’t be around. But our main focus is to try to win games and control what we can control. Obviously, that’s out of our control with the guys in the locker room. But we got a lot of love for him and we wish him the best. We’re just trying to win games now.”

Here’s more on the Heat:

Team president Pat Riley may want to reconsider his trademark candor in the wake of the Butler situation, suggests Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. After the Heat were eliminated from the playoffs, Riley reacted to Butler’s claim that they could have beaten the Celtics and Knicks if he hadn’t been injured by saying it’s best to “keep your mouth shut” if you’re not able to play. Riley has become known for direct statements during his long NBA career, but Winderman says that trait may have become counterproductive in player relations.
The Heat have given Butler special treatment for years, but now they’re calling his behavior “conduct detrimental” after he became unhappy about not receiving an extension, Winderman adds in a subscriber-only story.
Excessive pride from Butler and Riley has led to the current situation, but a change is also necessary because the current Heat roster isn’t good enough to compete for a title, argues Greg Cote of The Miami Herald.
Although Butler suggested during his comments to the media on Thursday that his role and his lack of “joy” playing basketball were the reasons for his dissatisfaction, it all comes down to money, contends Chris Mannix of SI.com. According to Shams Charania of ESPN (YouTube link), Butler – who was upset about not being offered a maximum-salary extension by the Heat during the offseason – wouldn’t want to sign that extension if it were offered now. That’s a moot point, since Miami certainly doesn’t intend to put it on the table at this point, but it’s a reflection of how much the relationship has deteriorated.
Exploring possible trade scenarios involving Butler, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald states (via Twitter) that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., who would need to be included in any deal with Denver, was flagged by the Heat “long ago” for medical reasons. Porter, who had back problems earlier in his career, has been healthier in recent years, and Jackson notes that his talent would be “enticing,” though Miami’s appetite for taking on multiyear salary is unclear.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Scotto’s Latest: C. Johnson, Nuggets, Bulls, Ingram, Pelicans, Poeltl

December 31st, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The “growing belief” around the NBA that it will take more than one first-round pick to pry forward Cameron Johnson away from the Nets due to his strong play this season and the team-friendly descending/flat structure of his contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Johnson has base salaries of $22.5MM this season, $20.5MM in 2025/26, and $22.5MM in ’26/27.

However, Johnson’s deal also includes significant unlikely incentives of $4.5MM this season, $4.1MM next season, and $4.5MM in ’26/27. Those incentives count against the apron, complicating matters for a potential suitor right up against a hard cap, such as the Warriors.

Golden State and Brooklyn discussed Johnson before agreeing to their Dennis Schröder trade, but those conversations were always considered exploratory and Jonathan Kuminga‘s name wasn’t part of them, says Scotto. Among Pacific playoff hopefuls, the Kings may be a more serious suitor for Johnson, having long expressed interest in him, Scotto notes.

Here are a few more interesting tidbits from Scotto:

There’s “growing pessimism” that the Nuggets and Bulls will make a deal centered around Zach LaVine and Michael Porter Jr., league sources tell HoopsHype. As Scotto explains, Chicago doesn’t want to take on Zeke Nnaji‘s four-year contract and doesn’t want to have to give up assets to get a third team to take it. However, Denver may have to include Nnaji for salary-matching purposes and might not have the draft capital necessary to incentivize a third team to acquire him.
Confirming a previous report that the Jazz and Pelicans briefly discussed Brandon Ingram before he made it clear he didn’t want to sign long-term in Utah, Scotto says the two teams “kicked around” the idea of a package that would’ve included John Collins and draft compensation before talks fizzled out.
Scotto also confirms that the Pelicans will look to duck out of luxury tax territory by moving a player or two prior to February 6. Assuming New Orleans is able to open up a roster spot and has enough room below the tax line, the team would like to promote two-way player Brandon Boston to its standard roster, Scotto adds.
Although Toronto hasn’t made starting center Jakob Poeltl via trade, teams around the NBA are monitoring the situation in case that stance changes before February 6, Scotto writes. The Raptors believe Poeltl, who is under contract through at least 2026, fits with their young core, according to Scotto, who suggests an inflection point could come this summer, when the big man becomes extension-eligible again.
In case you missed it, we rounded up a few more of Scotto’s latest rumors in a separate story focused on Pacific teams.

Nuggets’ Malone, Porter Address Trade Rumors

December 24th, 2024 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets and forward Michael Porter Jr. have been at the center of one of the biggest trade rumors so far this season, with reports indicating that Denver is exploring the possibility of making a deal for Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Porter’s cap hit of nearly $36MM would be necessary for matching purposes in a trade for LaVine or any other trade target earning a significant salary.

Addressing that rumor – along with one from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer suggesting the Nuggets are considering the idea of trading Porter – head coach Michael Malone said prior to Monday’s game vs. Phoenix that there’s more smoke than fire on the rumor mill, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

“A lot of it is noise. I mean, I don’t know where it comes from,” Malone said. “You see different things that are out there, and you never want that stuff getting out there. But I’ve talked to (general manager) Calvin (Booth), and Calvin’s had a good pulse on that stuff. And whenever that stuff is happening, he’s in touch with the guys and their agents to let them know what is real and what is not real. And as of right now as we are 25 games into the season, there’s nothing to that.”

Malone added that he wants his players focusing on what they can control rather than “worrying about the wrong thing.” He also lauded the Nuggets’ front office for the job it has done over the years communicating with the players and making sure they’re not caught off guard during trade season.

Speaking to reporters after Monday’s game, Porter – who scored 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting in a 27-point blowout win over the Suns – agreed that the front office has been good about touching base with him as trade rumors have swirled.

“They’ve reached out to me and said it’s all noise,” Porter said (Twitter video link via DNVR Sports). “There’s nothing serious going on, and if there was, they’d let me know. They’ve said they love how I’m playing and to keep being aggressive, and they have no desire to move me right now.

“But I also know that they wouldn’t tell me if they wanted to move me,” Porter added with a laugh. “But they have reached out, yeah.”

Porter is averaging a career-high 18.3 points per game through his first 27 games this season. He’s also contributing 6.9 rebounds and a career-best 2.8 assists per night, with impressive shooting percentages of 51.8% from the field and 38.8% on three-pointers.

However, the 26-year-old has never been considered a defensive asset, and his maximum-salary contract – which includes two more years and $79MM+ in guaranteed money beyond this season – makes him Denver’s most logical big-money trade chip.

Asked if being the subject of trade rumors is stressful, Porter downplayed his concern, noting that he understands it’s part of the business and pointing out that he’s been “blessed” not only to spend his entire career so far with one team, but to win a championship with that club.

“When stuff like this comes up, I don’t think I take it personally,” the veteran forward said, per Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “You have those moments where you’re like, ‘Man, I want to be here,’ or whatever the thoughts (are) that go through your head.

“But I think for me, I’ve overcome so much in my life. I’ve gone through so much with my family. I’ve gone through so much personally that little stuff like a trade rumor, I kind of leave that stuff up to God. I kind of have zero stress about it, because I know wherever I end up, it will be meant to be. I love where I’m at, and I love playing with these dudes. I think we have a chance to get rolling and do something special, but to answer your question, it’s not stressful for me.”

Stein’s Latest: Butler, Beal, Nnaji, Kuzma, Hawkins

December 23rd, 2024 at 8:08am CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns‘ interest in acquiring Jimmy Butler is “absolutely genuine,” but they may not have enough assets to entice the Heat, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

In theory, Bradley Beal‘s $50MM contract is a good salary match f0r Butler’s $48.8MM deal, and it’s being portrayed in some circles that Beal’s no-trade clause is the major impediment. That’s not really accurate, according to Stein, who states that there’s little evidence that the Heat have interest in adding the 31-year-old guard.

Beal has two more seasons left on his contract at $53.7MM and $57.1MM, which would greatly impact Miami’s future roster flexibility. He has also missed 36% of the Suns’ games since he joined the team at the start of last season. His scoring has dropped significantly after leaving Washington as he’s no longer being asked to carry the offense, although his shooting percentages are still strong at .504/.375/.795.

Stein notes that Phoenix doesn’t have many options to sweeten the deal for Miami. As a second-apron team, the Suns can’t aggregate contracts in a trade and they’ve already parted with most of their draft assets. They don’t have control over their first-round picks for the next six years, leaving just their 2031 first-rounder and three second-rounders to offer.

Stein shares more inside information from around the league:

Stein confirms a report from KC Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network that Zeke Nnaji‘s contract could stand in the way of a potential Nuggets-Bulls trade. One version of a deal would send Nnaji and Michael Porter Jr. to Chicago in exchange for Zach LaVine and Torrey Craig, but the Bulls are reluctant to make a four-year commitment to Nnaji, who has a $32MM contract that runs through 2027/28. Stein reiterates that Denver is considering whether it makes more sense to trade Porter for two rotational pieces, rather than trying to land LaVine.
League executives believe the Wizards are “eager” to move veteran forward Kyle Kuzma before the trade deadline, according to Stein. Washington had a deal in place with Dallas involving Kuzma last winter, but he chose to stay with the Wizards when given the option. He’s not expected to be consulted this time, Stein adds, as Washington’s front office seeks to tear down a roster that has compiled a league-worst 4-22 record. Stein points out that Kuzma has $3MM in unlikely bonuses that could complicate a deal (since they count against the aprons), but his contract is otherwise team-friendly with a declining salary that will reach $19.4MM in 2026/27. Stein adds that the idea that the Mavericks might pursue Kuzma again was “strongly dismissed,” but the Kings could be an option. He describes Sacramento’s recent interest in Kuzma as “up-and-down.”
Stein considers Jordan Hawkins to be among the players who the Pelicans are unlikely to trade before the deadline. The 22-year-old guard is averaging 13.1 PPG in his second NBA season and has taken on a larger role in New Orleans’ offense. Stein previously listed Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy and rookie center Yves Missi as keepers for the Pelicans.

Trade Rumors: MPJ, LaVine, Butler, Suns, Nets

December 20th, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets are open to the idea of making a significant trade prior to the February 6 trade deadline, but they’re hoping they’ll see enough from their current group in the coming weeks to feel confident about not having to make a major in-season deal, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, who takes a closer look at Denver’s trade candidates and potential paths.

Meanwhile, following up on the rumor linking Zach LaVine to Denver and Michael Porter Jr. to the Bulls, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) confirm the Nuggets are indeed considering whether to trade Porter, whose $35.9MM cap hit would be necessary to complete a trade for a player earning a substantial salary.

According to Stein and Fischer, the Nuggets have “always been somewhat unsure” about Porter’s value on the trade market, due in part to his injury history, and are wary about making the team smaller by swapping him out for a guard like LaVine.

Sources tell The Stein Line that some people in the Nuggets’ front office believe that if the team needs to make a moving involving Porter, trading him for two starting-caliber players instead of a single star would be the best course of action. Fischer and Stein point to the Hawks‘ duo of De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic and the Nets‘ duo of Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith as examples.

I may be unsure about Porter’s trade value myself, but given two years and $79MM left on his contract after this season, I have to think that Atlanta and Brooklyn would require some serious sweeteners to seriously consider those trade ideas. That’s an issue for the Nuggets, who aren’t exactly stocked with draft assets — they’ve traded away three future first-round picks and included protections on all of them, complicating their ability to offer additional first-rounders or swaps in subsequent trades. That’s why targeting a distressed asset like LaVine makes sense in the first place.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Suns are Jimmy Butler‘s preferred landing spot in the event of a trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links). However, Gambadoro says Phoenix plans to wait until at least mid-January before making any decisions on trades, which includes anything involving Butler. Although Gambadoro believes the Suns like Butler, it’s unclear if they’d have the pieces to acquire him, given that Bradley Beal (who holds a no-trade clause) would have to be included in any deal.
Net Income of NetsDaily rounds up a few recent trade rumors involving the Nets and provides his own analysis on each of them. According to NetsDaily, Brooklyn is believed to be seeking at least one first-round pick and potentially “a prospect or two” for Cameron Johnson and is very reluctant to take on multiyear money in trades unless the accompanying return is “rich.”
Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) has published his pre-deadline trade primer for the 2024/25 season, running through all 30 NBA teams and taking a closer look at the big questions they have to answer, their tradable players and draft picks, and various restrictions they’re facing.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines 10 potential trade candidates, including a pair of Trail Blazers centers (Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams), and considers which landing spots are most realistic for them.

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