Through two rounds of the NBA playoffs, Nuggets starters Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Christian Braun, and Aaron Gordon ranked one through four in the NBA in total minutes played. To some extent, that was a byproduct of Denver being the only team to play two seven-game series, but those four Nuggets all averaged between 37.3 and 41.3 minutes per game during the postseason, reflecting the team’s lack of reliable depth.
“We definitely need to figure out a way to get more depth,” Jokic said the Nuggets’ Game 7 loss on Sunday, per Tony Jones and Sam Amick of The Athletic. “It seems like the teams that have longer rotations, the longer benches, are the ones winning. You look at Indiana and OKC and Minnesota, and they have been great examples of that.”
Adding depth won’t be the easy for the Nuggets, who are hamstrung to some extent by maximum-salary contracts for Jokic, Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. Denver projects to operate in tax apron territory next season, lacks appealing trade chips, and is the only team that doesn’t have a pick in this year’s draft.
As Jones and Amick observe, it would be logical for the Nuggets to explore trading Porter, who is the most expendable of the team’s highest-paid players. Troy Renck of The Denver Post comes to the same conclusion, lauding Porter for gutting it out through a shoulder injury in the postseason but arguing that his inconsistency has become a liability for the club.
An April report indicated that Nuggets ownership has a particular fondness for Porter because he played his college ball at Missouri, the same school Stan Kroenke and Josh Kroenke attended. However, the prospect of trading Porter at this year’s deadline was “very much in play,” according to Jones and Amick, who note that the Nuggets gave real consideration to including him in a package for Zach LaVine earlier in the season.
We have more on the Nuggets:
- It remains unclear who will be making the roster decisions in Denver this offseason, since the team fired general manager Calvin Booth near the end of the regular season. League sources tell Jones and Amick of The Athletic that the Nuggets haven’t moved forward with a search for a new general manager yet and there’s an expectation that interim GM Ben Tenzer has a chance to earn the position on a permanent basis, as Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported.
- After playing through a hamstring strain in Game 7, Gordon told reporters, including Bennett Durando of The Denver Post, that he “knew the risks” of taking the court and acknowledged that he “couldn’t sprint,” but said he was determined to give the team all he had. “There was never a doubt in my mind that I was going to play,” he said. “The only thing that made me doubt playing was the MRI. The MRI told me something worse than what I was feeling.” Interim head coach David Adelman referred to Gordon’s effort as “one of the more incredible things I’ve ever seen,” tweets Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette.
- Nuggets point guard Russell Westbrook was noncommittal when asked what he plans to do with his 2025/26 player option, as Benedetto relays in another tweet. Even if he wants to remain in Denver, it probably makes sense for Westbrook to turn down that $3.47MM option, since a new minimum deal would pay him $3.63MM.
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks has published his Nuggets offseason preview in the form of an ESPN.com article as well as a YouTube video. There are some key extension candidates to watch in Denver this summer, according to Marks, who identifies Jokic (veteran extension) and Braun (rookie scale extension) as two players who will be eligible to sign new deals.
- In case you missed it, Adelman is reportedly considered a strong candidate to have his interim tag removed and become the Nuggets’ full-time head coach.
MPJ’s deal will make it difficult for this team to acquire/add any depth in FA or trades.
Porter was awful in the series. He wasn’t even that good when they won the title. U can’t pay good player, great money
13 Westbrook was even more brutal IMO.
Denver hoped Porter would bloom more when they signed him but he is not a max player. Hopefully some of the bench can play better. We shall see.
Dude it was college let it go. Where did Ted Bundy go to college? Wonder if the judge shared an Alma mater he’d still be driving around…
Maybe trade for Derozen.
I’m not sure if it is the reporting or mixed messages from the FO, but how does targeting Zach LeVine help with the lack of bench? Makes no sense. Can’t have both..
Superstars: “We have to have more depth.”
Also superstars: “I want a max contract and not a penny less.”
I said this one last November
Nuggets starters play too many minutes. They’ll be tired in April
GM just sit there and do nothing
If you give big bad contracts, you know you are able to trade them
Denver almost beat the best team in the league. Sounds like a pretty successful year for a team that did nothing to make its team better.
Jovic is MVP and they won’t get anything for Porter. It’s Jamal they should be trading.
Denver is one season ending Jovic injury away from a top 5 lotto team
Porter makes 38 mill next yr. And already they are crying about Jrue making 32 mill. Celtics will have no problem moving Jrue.
Only way you move Porter is by attaching a pick. Taking back a bad contract.
Porter is 26 yrs old, 2 years remaining on his deal.
Holiday is 35 yrs old, 3 years remaining on his deal.
Both are now negative contracts, Holiday’s is worse.
Nobody wants to pay a 37 year old $37M per year.
For the love of god, STOP PUTTING RUSS, HARDEN AND CP3 ON YOUR CONTENDING TEAMS, THEY ARE A CANCER TO WINNING A TITLE!!!
Mad respect for Denver, they put it all out there, fans should be proud
* Im not a Porter guy by any means but the dude couldn’t lift his arm above his shoulder . Have some perspective folks
Good point about Porter’s shoulder. At some point, though, he’s got to prove he can stay healthy for a season. Injuries have defined his basketball career for the last 8 consecutive years. NBA teams don’t like risk.
Nuggs win game 7 vs OKC they win the Chip IMO…
Soo let’s not get crazy killing the team for losing to the best team in the league…by far.
We all know the need depth…We know Porter Jr. needs to be traded…We all know they need to get more athletic…We all know Jokic needs a viable backup rim protector along with better depth soo his minutes on the bench don’t kill the team…
Now Getting all that is another story…it’s gonna take some financial flexibility…which Denver doesn’t have…
Can it be done??…,Yes.
Will it get done??…🤷♂️
MPJ’s realistic trade proposals:
1) MPJ ($38M) for Jerami Grant ($32M) 1/1 swap.
Grant is familiar with both Murray/Jokic and the style Denver plays, brings in another wing defender who is signed with AG/Joker/Murray timeline.
Portland gets $$$ off books in 2 years from MPJ
2) MPJ ($38M) for Richaun Holmes ($13M), Marcus Smart ($21M)
Allows Washington to get another young shooter/player next to Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly with the 6th pick in the draft.
Denver gets valuable depth off the bench and a defender in Smart who brings toughness.
3) 3) MPJ ($38M) for CJ McCollum ($30.6M) 1/1 player swap.
Gives Zion some shooters around him with size, let’s CJ go to Denver where he can take ball handling duties from Jamal Murray.
The key in all of this is that MPJ has one more year left at $40M for 2026-27 and after that, he is scheduled to be a free agent. So a bad team like Wizards can see if he’s a fit next to Sarr and whomever they draft at 6 since they have time to access and evaluate the roster as a whole.
Not bad ideas. I like your Grant trade the most. I think you lose too much offensively with the Wizards trade and lose too much defensively in terms of size with the CJ trade.
Thanks, Poole for MPJ would also work since Poole’s contract is $31M.
Nice to see other ideas, Porter Jr trades are hard to make up
Mines To Utah for Collins and Sextons expiring with 1 1st, 1 swap, and maybe Holmes from Denver as an extra piece too
Denver would get their bird rights
Honestly, I had a hard time of thinking and producing any MPJ trade. I think Utah is a in a position where Denver would need a 3rd team to facilitate a trade with. Denver is in the 2nd apron category, so they couldn’t trade a pick 7 years down the line (2032), only up to 2031. Plus Ainge would never help a team (unless it’s Boston) without getting a pick in return. Good proposal by you but I think it’ll be bad contract for bad contract for MPJ lol.
From what I’ve seen DEN isn’t looking for a 1/1, they are wanting depth. So a 1/1 is out of the equation imo since they won’t be saving enough in order to bring in a decent enough piece. Think something like
MPJ and Nnaji to ORL for KCP, Anthony, and Bitadze
or
MPJ, 2026 1st, Nnaji, and Saric to CHI for White, PWill, & Collins
Yeah I’m not doing that with Coby in there lol. Terrible offer. No real assets for that team to build upon.
Figured you wouldn’t but CHI has to clear up the G logjam they have. They have some other young Gs, signed Lonzo (to a short term deal of course), and I see them signing Giddey especially after the way he played this year. I just don’t know if they’d sign Coby next year too as a UFA. MPJ and Coby are only like a year apart, so you aren’t losing much age wise. PWill has declined each year and has a lot of years left on his contract. He still has potential, but I just think he really needs a change of scenery. However, since he is in the deal that’s why the return for Coby is less. So a one year “rental” (not sure if DEN would be able to resign Coby) and assuming PWill’s contract for MPJ and a 1st because the others are filler mainly. MPJ gets knocked for injuries, but has actually only missed 5 games the last two regular seasons. Also, I put 2026 1st, but don’t think they can trade a 1st until like 2031. So that would be more beneficial since they most likely won’t still be a top team in the west then.
I cannot understate this enough. Patrick Williams is the worst offensive player I have seen in watching 35 years of NBA. I do not wish him another team nor their fans to experience what I have felt the last 4 years. I think there needs to be a 3rd team involved, if we’re giving up Coby we should fetch better than just 1 1st round pick 6 years away. I wouldn’t touch Zeke, he’s unplayable. MPJ I would only take if they are okay taking Jalen Smith and Patrick Williams is a combined deal. Agree with you there’s a severe logjam for us at guards, but shhh don’t tell AK that, he’ll have you cleaning toilets at the UC.
I think Zeke is similar to PWill in needing a change of scenery, but less potential obviously. Zeke’s contract isn’t as expensive or long though, so I’d say he is still a positive over PWill. And if PWill is as bad as you say, then idk how you expect to get more for 1 year of Coby than a 1st and MPJ when all of them are combined in the same trade. No way can you get MPJ for PWill, J Smith, and filler salary imo. I can see a 3rd team being added, but not sure who and which wing/C to add in place DEN 2031 1st.
If you’re trading JUST Coby then yes, but then that means eating the years of PWill’s contract.
Problem with Coby is that he is not a top 20 player in the league. Do I like him? Yes. Do I think he’s put in the work in the gym in order to be an effective player? Of course yes. However, I think his ceiling is already there and you are right the only way this team unload Patrick Williams’ deal is if they include Coby or Ayo and get it off the books. Sigh lol
Possibly something like MPJ & Saric (since I assume you prefer him over Zeke) for PWill, Ayo, and Collins.
Jalen and Zeke I’d say are too similar, so would think DEN prefers Collins.
That would be a better offer honestly.
I like some of these ideas.
Would say with the Wizards trade throw in Zeke and get back Bey.
Zeke wouldn’t be needed with Holmes there and Bey if he’s fit and healthy could be a huge addition as a 3 and D forward.
The Portland one, again I’d throw in Zeke and get back Rob Williams. Just straight swap MPJ for Grant that’s a downgrade but throw in Rob Williams for Zeke that’s an upgrade.
Lastly the CJ one, not a big fan of tbh. CJ would likely have to be a 6th man or move Braun to SF to accommodate CJ and replace MPJ. If anything just makes more of a problem.
One I was thinking of was MPJ for Jordan Clarkson, KJ Martin and Cody Williams.
Clarkson sixth man, KJ and Cody for cheap depth. Utah have Lauri and MPJ as their forwards and draft a SG like VJ or Tre.
Simmons, I don’t like Clarkson one bit on that team. He’s not an effective outside shooter. As we all saw in the OKC/DEN series, they packed Jokic and the guards were not hitting the outside shot, bringing in Clarkson will be just the same results with different personnel. I like KJ Martin on that roster. I agree with you on Zeke, he needs to be traded but I’m not sure if any team is willing to take on that 3/23M left (last year is a Player Option with $7.4M, and you know he’ll accept that). They do need a capable backup big for Jokic, I think they need a defensive enforcer when Jokic is out of the game. I know the offense will sputter a but when Jokic is out, but at the same time the defense can get better. I would bring in a guy like Mo Bamba who has flamed out elsewhere, but can be a key contributor on the 2nd unit with his size,athleticism and length.
Good stuff as usual from you.
The Denver front office absolutely blew their chance to do something this trade deadline and ship MPJ out. They had a window to move him, but insisted on holding – since then, he struggled down the stretch and was downright horrendous in the playoffs. What little chance they had to move him for anything of value, is probably gone now – he’s reduced to simply being a bad contract dump.
He played 433 minutes this playoffs, across 14 games, he had 9 total assists – 0.6 per game. His dud shoulder affected his shooting no doubt, but he didn’t make up for it in any other way.
Porter Jr for Derozan and Valencunas?
MPJ for John Collins and throw in?
I like the SAC deal some, but it does limit spacing. It gives DEN a big off the bench who can score some though and provide productive minutes. So maybe that and a usually healthy DeMar is worth it, not sure what SAC future plans are after dealing Fox.
aristotle
May 19, 2025
Porter is 26 yrs old, 2 years remaining on his deal.
Holiday is 35 yrs old, 3 years remaining on his deal.
Both are now negative contracts, Holiday’s is worse.
Nobody wants to pay a 37 year old $37M per year.
Yeah and Jimmy is 37. Yet he is saving the Warriors. Your new team right. Porter isn’t half the player Holiday is. Plus he is damaged goods. The day you learn this game. Come back. You are a bigger clown than Marty ……. Why don’t you tell us all how well you know the Knicks again please ……
And stop posting lies. …… Holiday today is one of best PGs in NBA. You will again have to hide for dogging him.
Holiday contract is for 32,4 mill in 2025/26
——-……… 34.8 mill in 2026-27
———……… 37.2 mill in 2027-28
Just like you said OG, Bridges, Mitch sucked and not worth the money.
Then you said Jimmy was not worth the money.
Now Holiday is finished and not worth the money. have you ever balled ever. Cause you are clueless. Worse you don’t know when to shut up. I have forgotten more ball than you will ever make believe to learn. Yet i live in your head rent free. I told you it comes easy to me. Thats what real talent does.
link to hoopshype.com
KnickerbockerAl said:
> I have forgotten more ball than you will ever make
> believe to learn. I told you it comes easy to me. Thats
> what real talent does.
Al, look up “overcompensation”. This screams insecurity and a life of failure.
Yes, you have been telling us all for years about your superior “talent”. Let us know when you find somebody that agrees.
Al, who are you talking too? Davey J?