NBA Trade Rumors: Denver Nuggets to consider trading Michael Porter Jr. with 4 teams expected to register interest

Michael Porter Jr. had a breakthrough campaign with the Denver Nuggets during the 2020-21 season, but NBA trade rumors suggest that his future could lie elsewhere. He will be eligible for a rookie scale contract extension this offseason.

Michael Porter Jr. stepped up big time for the Denver Nuggets in the latter months of this season, particularly after Jamal Murray's ACL injury. Despite that, the Nuggets might be open to trading the swingman.

As per independent reporter Trey Rodriguez, the Denver Nuggets will be looking at trade opportunities for Michael Porter Jr. this summer. He added that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks are expected to show interest in Porter Jr.

The Denver Nuggets will be exploring trade options for Michael Porter, Jr., per source. Among the teams expected to show interest are the Cavaliers, Raptors, Pacers and Knicks.

— Trey Rodriguez (@TreyRodriguezNY) July 17, 2021

Michael Porter Jr. was drafted in 2018 by the Denver Nuggets, but he spent more than an entire season recovering from a back injury. He played 55 games during the 2019-20 season, his true rookie year. Porter Jr. took a gigantic leap in his sophomore campaign, averaging 19 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from downtown.

NBA Trade Rumors: Why would Denver Nuggets consider trading Michael Porter Jr.?

The finances could be the biggest reason behind the Denver Nuggets potentially choosing to trade Michael Porter Jr. in the offseason. He's shown tremendous potential on the offensive end to demand a max contract, but the Nuggets might not be in a position to offer that to him without dipping into luxury tax.

Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly [Image: Denver Post]

Jamal Murray's max contract has already come into play. Nikola Jokic is set to be offered a supermax extension in the summer of 2022. Will Barton just turned down his player option worth $14.6 million and the Denver Nuggets are expected to bring him back on a long-term deal.

If Denver hands Michael Porter Jr. a max contract too, they could be paying over $110 million combined to just the four players mentioned so far in the 2021-22 season. That number would only go up in subsequent years.

The Nuggets could instead look to replace Michael Porter Jr. with a blue-chip prospect who still has some time remaining on his rookie deal. Interestingly, two of the potential suitors mentioned above have a top-four pick in the 2021 draft.

The Denver Nuggets could swap Michael Porter Jr. for Cleveland's No.3 pick or Toronto's No.4 pick. Considering the toll that the players have taken in the last 18 months and that Jamal Murray is recovering from an ACL injury, it wouldn't be the worst idea to use the upcoming season to reset the timeline.

Michael Porter Jr. (22 PTS) ties the postseason record for threes made in a quarter with 6 triples in the 1st! #NBAPlayoffs on TNT pic.twitter.com/RZyd3Jc4HY

— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2021

It's certainly not a given that Michael Porter Jr. will be traded this season. The Denver Nuggets could just be surveying the market to ascertain Porter Jr.'s value or even looking to upgrade. Only time will tell what Nuggets president Tim Connelly has in mind for the 23-year-old.

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