Michael Porter Jr.

Northwest Notes: Ayton, Clingan, C. Williams, Porter

June 29th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The morning after Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin took UConn’s Donovan Clingan with the seventh pick in the draft, he felt it was necessary to call starting center Deandre Ayton and explain the move, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. To his delight, Cronin found that Ayton wasn’t just understanding of the decision, but extremely supportive.

“He was like, ‘OK, where can we take this?’” Cronin said. “(He asked) How can he help me? How can I help him? What can we do together?’ His attitude was great about the whole situation.”

Quick notes that Ayton’s attitude was often a problem early in his career and even at times last season, but it has improved to the point where he’s now considered a “building block” of the franchise. Coach Chauncey Billups, who’s getting ready to fly to Spain to watch Ayton’s Bahamas team in an Olympic qualifying tournament, is excited about experimenting with Ayton and Clingan in a twin towers lineup.

“I’m willing to try things,” Billups said. “Several teams are playing big — Cleveland, Denver, Memphis … I’m going to try having (Clingan) and D.A. out there together. But it depends who is on the floor. Is it Jaren Jackson? Is it Aaron Gordon? Is it Evan Mobley?”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Clingan emphasized his desire to win during an introductory press conference Saturday in Portland, Quick adds. He credited his late mother with teaching him the importance of defense. “You have to play great defense to win games, and I want to win games,” Clingan said. “I’ll take a block off the backboard over a dunk any day of the week.”
The Jazz don’t expect first-round pick Cody Williams to make an immediate impact like his older brother Jalen Williams did in Oklahoma City, but they recognize there are benefits to having a sibling who’s already in the NBA, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “I think it is a great example for him,” general manager Justin Zanik said. “They’re going to be different. They’re not the exact same player at all. But just being able to be around that can continue to inspire and grow Cody’s passion for the game.”
The Nuggets need a roster shakeup this summer and their best option is to trade Michael Porter Jr., contends Troy Renck of The Denver Post. With Jamal Murray about to receive a max extension and Gordon possibly becoming a free agent next summer, dealing Porter would relieve some of the financial strain on an expensive roster. Renck hears that Denver has explored several trade options involving Porter and had interest in Alex Caruso before he was traded to the Thunder.

Free Agent Rumors: KCP, George, Thompson, Bridges, More

June 28th, 2024 at 6:58am CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is declining his 2024/25 player option and becoming an unrestricted free agent, appears more likely than not to switch teams this offseason, Marc Stein writes at Substack, citing league sources.

Stein, who has previously mentioned the Sixers and Magic as potential suitors for Caldwell-Pope, once again names them as teams who are well-positioned to make runs at the 31-year-old if they so choose, noting that Denver has luxury tax and apron concerns to consider. The veteran wing is considered to be a “strong possibility” for Orlando, per Sam Amick and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

According to Stein, the Mavericks are another potential suitor to watch for Caldwell-Pope, with league sources saying there’s mutual interest between the two sides. However, Dallas is operating over the cap and would need to make a sign-and-trade deal to make a competitive contract offer to Caldwell-Pope. There’s a sense that the Nuggets won’t have interest in accommodating a sign-and-trade with a conference rival, Stein writes, even if it means losing their starting shooting guard for nothing.

Here are a few more free agent rumors and notes from around the NBA:

Within a look at Paul George‘s potential free agency, Amick and Slater of The Athletic confirm that the Warriors‘ interest in the Clippers star is “legitimate” if he decides to go the opt-in-and-trade route instead of declining his 2024/25 player option. The Nuggets also recently had interest in George in that scenario, but don’t appear prepared to pursue a deal that would see them give up Michael Porter Jr. and “significant” draft capital, per The Athletic’s duo. For what it’s worth, Denver only has one tradable future first-round pick.
Despite a report from their colleague Shams Charania indicating that the Sixers‘ interest in pursuing George has “waned,” Amick and Slater cite a source who advises not to rule out Philadelphia entirely. The 76ers could offer George a maximum-salary deal using their cap room if he reaches the open market.
The Sixers also have interest in Klay Thompson, who continues to have little contact with the Warriors as he nears free agency, according to Amick and Slater, who add that the Nuggets also have Thompson on their list of potential replacements if they lose Caldwell-Pope. It’s hard to see how Denver, whose team salary is right at the luxury tax line, could make Thompson a strong offer unless more cost-cutting moves are made.
Discussing unrestricted free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hornets head of basketball operations Jeff Peterson confirmed reporting that has suggested the team wants to re-sign Bridges. “I’ve made it very clear to Miles that we want him to remain as a Hornet,” Peterson said (story via Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer).
Isaiah Hartenstein and Nic Claxton top John Hollinger’s list of free agent centers at The Athletic by a wide margin over the rest of the class, with Hollinger’s BORD$ formula favoring Hartenstein. Claxton already has a four-year deal lined up to remain in Brooklyn, making Hartenstein the clear top option on the open market.

Northwest Notes: Dieng, Thunder, Wolves, MPJ

June 2nd, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Ousmane Dieng could be the missing piece to the Thunder‘s rotation, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. Dieng, a 2022 lottery pick, has spent the bulk of his first two NBA seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue. He appeared in just 33 games with the Thunder this season.

“Like every young player, he has so many things to work on,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. “When we drafted him, he was almost like a year young for that draft. We kind of knew that his timeline and his pathway would maybe be different, certainly from [Jalen Williams] because Dub was somebody coming in that we thought could get on the court sooner. But [Dieng] has responded pretty well. I’m pleased with him. I think he’s made some big strides here.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Thunder own the No. 12 pick of the draft via Houston and optimally, they’ll find a way to trade back in what’s considered a weak class, Stiles opines in a separate story. They might be able to add to their stash of future assets and still find a contributor.
The Timberwolves’ starting lineup could make a combined $167MM next season, which would push team salary near the luxury tax line for those five players alone. The Wolves must decide whether they can trim salary without sacrificing team quality, but since they’re a serious contender, going well over the tax line for at least a couple of seasons might be worth the cost. Danny Leroux of The Athletic explores what they could do to reduce future obligations, including a potential trade of either Karl-Anthony Towns or Naz Reid.
Should the Nuggets consider trading Michael Porter Jr.? The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando explores that topic, noting that all four teams in this year’s conference finals got there with the aid of recent blockbuster deals.

Nuggets Notes: Offseason, KCP, Braun, Cancar, MPJ

May 23rd, 2024 at 11:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing reporters at his end-of-season press conference on Thursday, Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth didn’t say anything that would suggest major roster changes are in the cards for the franchise this offseason, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. While Booth suggested some tweaks will be necessary, he stressed that continuing to develop the team’s young players will be crucial to improving the roster as a whole.

“I think (the 2023 draft picks) need more seasoning,” Booth said. “They need to get in the gym. They need to play Summer League. They need to get stronger. Obviously, maybe in our top seven, we can use a little bit more talent. Maybe there’s a way to upgrade one or two positions. … Get a guy that’s a more accomplished NBA player for whatever (roster) slot they’re taking. But I don’t see anything that’s, like, crazy out of sorts for our roster.”

After losing key rotation pieces like Bruce Brown and Jeff Green last offseason, the Nuggets relied primarily on recent draftees to replace them, adding three rookies (Julian Strawther, Jalen Pickett, and Hunter Tyson) to the roster and assigning 2022 first-rounders Christian Braun and Peyton Watson larger roles.

Of those players, Braun was the only one head coach Michael Malone trusted in the postseason, resulting in some questions about whether Booth and Malone are in the same page when it comes to filling out the roster and distributing minutes. That’s a subject that has been discussed within the organization, as Durando relays.

“We’ve talked about this a lot upstairs,” Booth said. “The general manager, front office job oftentimes is to make sure the long-term view is something that we’re satisfied with. And Coach Malone’s down there in the trenches trying to win every night. And a lot of times, those things are aligned, but sometimes they ebb and flow away from each other.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets, via Durando:

Asked about the possibility of surpassing the punitive second tax apron in order to sign Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, both team president Josh Kroenke and Booth expressed a level of comfort with operating above the aprons if it means maximizing the potential of a championship-caliber roster. “We spend a lot of time looking at the second apron and all this other stuff,” Booth said. “I think for me personally, it’s win a championship, one. Two, we have to look at the overall financial picture. And three, second apron. And I know the second apron is daunting, and there’s all kinds of restrictions, but I don’t think that’s first on our priority list. KCP’s been a great addition the last couple years. We obviously would love to have him back. We’re gonna take a hard look at what that looks like.”
If the Nuggets do lose Caldwell-Pope, it would likely thrust Braun into a starting job. Booth and Malone said they’re confident the young wing could succeed in that role if he continues to improve as a shooter. “I think Christian Braun, it’s all gonna come down to one thing. To be a shooting guard in the NBA, you’ve gotta be able to make shots,” Malone said. “That’s the bottom line. So if you want to simplify CB’s future as a starting two guard in the NBA, it’ll be determined upon his ability to be a 38% or above 3-point shooter.” Braun made 38.4% of his three-pointers in 2023/24, but didn’t shoot them at a high volume, converting just 63 in 82 games.
Booth said he expects Vlatko Cancar, who missed the entire season due to a torn ACL, to be able to suit up for Slovenia in the Olympic qualifiers, noting that the tournament will be a “great chance” to evaluate the big man. The qualifying tournament won’t begin until July 2, however, and the Nuggets will have to decide by June 29 whether or not to exercise Cancar’s $2.35MM team option.
The Nuggets signaled multiple times during Thursday’s presser that they likely won’t explore trading Michael Porter Jr. this summer, writes Durando. Kroenke expressed faith in the team’s current starting lineup (which includes Porter) and Malone refuted the idea (expressed by Porter himself) that MPJ was to blame for the second-round loss to Minnesota.

Northwest Notes: Porter Jr., Nuggets, McDaniels, Reid, Ownership Dispute

May 21st, 2024 at 7:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Michael Porter Jr. pins the blame on himself for the Nuggets‘ second-round loss to Minnesota, according to Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. Porter struggled to make offensive contributions, averaging 10.7 points per game on 37.1% shooting from the field. He scored just 25 points in the last four games of the Western Conference semifinals.

“This was a terrible series,” Porter said. “I felt like I might’ve had one or two good games out of the seven we played. Part of it was the way they were guarding. Part of it was (that) my shot wasn’t falling. It’s just tough because I know if I would have played up to par with how I normally play, we would have won this series. And there’s a lot of things that could have been different as a team, but I know if I had played my part, we would have won the series. And I’ve gotta live with that.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

A lack of quality depth led to the Nuggets’ demise, in the estimation of Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. He notes that only rookies and journeyman veterans were added last offseason to fortify the bench, which took huge hits with the loss of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green. Salary cap issues were a primary reasons for the approach but O’Connor notes that only one bench player logged more than 10 minutes in Game 7, while five players under the age of 25 never shed their warmups.
Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid missed last year’s playoffs due to injury but they played massive roles in the Timberwolves’ ascension to the Western Conference Finals, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune notes. McDaniels scored 44 points in the last two games of the second-round series, while Reid — the league’s Sixth Man of the Year — scored eight of his 11 points in Game 7 during the fourth quarter and blocked two Nikola Jokic shot attempts.
Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore made an interesting proposal to Glen Taylor in the ownership dispute engulfing the Timberwolves franchise. The duo proposed last month that the loser of their battle over ownership of the franchise should cover the legal costs of the winner, Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico reports. However, Taylor’s legal team has chosen to continue with the binding arbitration, as laid out in the purchase agreement, where parties are responsible for their own fees. That process is slated to happen in the coming months, Novy-Williams adds.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Caldwell-Pope, Porter Jr.

April 30th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier in the day on Monday, before he hit his second game-winning shot of the Nuggets‘ first-round series and knocked the Lakers out of the postseason, Jamal Murray wasn’t sure he would even suit up, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.

Murray told reporters after the game that the team’s medical staff was hesitant to give him the go-ahead to play in Game 5 due to the left calf strain that had caused him to be listed as questionable. The star guard received clearance after pleading his case to head coach Michael Malone and team VP of sports medicine Steve Short in a meeting that Malone described as “emotional,” per Durando.

“I came a little earlier today just to see if I was gonna be able to go. And I felt like I could,” Murray said. “And they just didn’t want me to risk it. They told me no. They told me no. And I didn’t say no. I just didn’t want to leave my teammates out there. We’ve been battling all season. Everybody’s hurt at some point. Everybody’s going through something. And I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I wasn’t about to play this game. … I’m just glad they listened to me. They listened to me listening to my body.”

Although Murray made it through the night with no setbacks and led the Nuggets to the victory with his game-high 32 points, his health situation hasn’t been resolved, according to Durando, who notes that calf strains don’t disappear overnight. Still, Murray’s heroics ensure that he and the Nuggets will have four days off before they host the Timberwolves on Saturday in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, so there’s some time for the injury to heal.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Murray wasn’t at his best during the first round, making just 40% of his shots from the field, including 29.4% of his three-pointers, but his big shots in clutch situations helped cement his place among the league’s all-time postseason performers, contends Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The bigger the moment, the bigger Jamal Murray shines,” Malone said. “He’s one tough cookie.”
Murray isn’t the only Nuggets starter who will welcome the four-day layoff for injury recovery purposes. As Durando writes for The Denver Post, swingman Kentavious Caldwell-Pope left Monday’s game due to a sprained left ankle. He returned to start the second half and finished the game, but didn’t appear to be operating at 100%.
Michael Porter Jr. enjoyed perhaps the best playoff series of his career in round one, buoying a Nuggets offense that struggled to score efficiently from beyond the arc, according to Tyler King of The Denver Gazette and Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post. The veteran forward made 20-of-41 (48.8%) three-point attempts vs. Los Angeles, while his teammates hit just 33-of-131 (25.2%). Porter’s success came during a tumultuous time for his family — his brother Jontay was recently banned from the NBA for gambling, while another brother, Coban, was sentenced to six years in prison due to a fatal drunk driving incident. “At the end of the day, this is basketball. I got way bigger stuff going on off the court,” Michael said. “To come in here with my sanctuary and be able to play well, it feels good. There’s a lot bigger stuff going on than this.”

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Porter, Watson, Malone

April 21st, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets opened their NBA title defense on Saturday night by beating the Lakers for the ninth straight time, and Jamal Murray warns that they weren’t at their best in the 11-point victory, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Throughout the first half, Denver couldn’t convert on open three-point opportunities as L.A. constantly threw double teams at Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets were just 6-of-23 from long distance in the first 24 minutes, and Murray believes the increased playoff excitement played a role.

“I think it’s just a greater energy (at the beginning), you know what I’m saying? You put a little bit more on your jump shots. I did for sure,” Murray said. “I remember last year, Game 1 against Minnesota, it was the same kind of thing. You’re just anticipating so much energy, so much adrenaline running through your body, sometimes you’ve just gotta relax and just take a shot like it’s practice. I wasn’t shooting like it was practice in the first half.”

The bright side for the Nuggets is that they only trailed by three points at halftime despite all those misses. Murray believes calmness and execution are the keys to the series, and he said he had no sense of panic when his team fell behind by 12 points.

“I just think we know what we want. We’re not trying to anything different. We’re not trying to, like, make stuff up,” Murray said. “Everybody knows where they should be, and they know (if they are) where they should be, they’ll get open shots. So that’s the beauty of this team. It’s just pure basketball. There’s no fighting like how it is in the park … where you don’t know where the shot’s gonna come from.”

There’s more from Denver:

Michael Porter Jr. is grateful for the support of his Nuggets teammates amid an excruciating week for his family, Durando states in a separate story. After his brother, Jontay Porter, was banned for life from the NBA for gambling-related violations, Michael was in a courtroom Friday as another brother, Coban, was sentenced to six years in prison for killing a woman last year in a drunk driving crash. “Each one of them texted me separately and just told me they’ve got my back. If I need anything, they’ve got me,” Porter said. “Yeah, a lot of people were reaching out. Friends, family. So to have these guys understand why I missed practice yesterday and just have my back has been big for me.”
Peyton Watson saw very limited action during last year’s title run, so this series marks his first real taste of the NBA playoffs, notes Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post. The second-year swingman, who entered the rotation after the loss of Bruce Brown and Jeff Green in free agency, has become a valuable defender and an elite shot blocker off the bench. “I don’t think anybody questioned my ability or my capabilities to go out there and perform and help our team win. I think everybody’s question was, ‘Is he gonna be able to handle it mentally?’” Watson said. “I think that’s the part I’m most far along with now.”
Before Saturday’s game, Nuggets coach Michael Malone talked to reporters about entering the playoffs for the first time without his father, longtime NBA coach Brendan Malone, who died in October, Durando adds in another piece.

Northwest Notes: Billups, Blazers, Porter Jr., Sarr, Biyombo

April 18th, 2024 at 9:26am CST by Dana Gauruder

Chauncey Billups is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Trail Blazers, who hold a team option on the 2025/26 season. Billups realizes that the team needs to show significant improvement in order for him to get an extension, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report.

“In this business, I always feel like you’re trying to prove what you can do and what kind of coach you can be,” he said. “I’ve always felt that way and I feel no different going into next year. I’m looking forward to that opportunity to be able to prove how good I can be. In this league and any league in the professional ranks, you’re always coaching for your job. It’s a part of the business. But that doesn’t scare me. I’m not worried about it. I’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to it.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Blazers are planning to improve from within rather than making aggressive moves for high-priced veterans that could cost them major resources, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian reports. “We’re heavily invested in a lot of our young guys, so development will continue to be a focus,” GM Joe Cronin said. “We’re not going to win at an extremely high level until some of those guys are ready. But at the same time, it’s our job to give them the best environment to thrive in. And often that’s with additional help. I think this year there were some flaws in the roster, especially in some missing skill sets and just in general imbalance, where it made it complicated for those guys to reach their highest potential.”
Jontay Porter‘s ban from the NBA for gambling-related violations has taken a toll on his brother, Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets. “It has not been easy for him,” coach Michael Malone said. “That’s why I give him credit, because he’s carrying so much in his heart and in his mind.”
Thunder big man and two-way player Olivier Sarr suffered a left Achilles tendon rupture during the G League Finals on Monday night, according to a team press release. In 15 games this season with the Thunder, Sarr averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in 6.5 minutes. Sarr also saw action in 18 games with the Blue and averaged 14.0 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 28.2 minutes.
Bismack Biyombo fainted during a game in early March. The Thunder center revealed to Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman that he was dehydrated due to fasting. Biyombo has fasted at various times throughout his career for religious reasons.

Raptors Notes: Porter, Agbaji, Size, March, Barrett

March 30th, 2024 at 10:53am CST by Tristan Tucker

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defended his brother — Raptors forward Jontay Porter — who is at the center of an NBA investigation regarding betting irregularities, according to ESPN. The elder Porter said his younger brother Jontay wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his NBA career.

The investigation is the result of prop bets involving Jontay on Jan. 26 and March 20, games in which he exited early and his unders were described by DraftKings as the No. 1 money-making bet in each of those games. Jontay hasn’t publicly addressed the situation and has missed the past three games for personal reasons. He’s averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 26 games (five starts) on a two-way deal with the Raptors this season.

Michael Porter Jr. said he had no more details than the media did but that he vouched for Jontay, who has been more than happy to be in Toronto on a two-way deal this season.

“Jontay loves the game of basketball… I’ve known my brother my whole life. I know what type of dude he is and I know he’s excited to play basketball, and I highly doubt he would do anything to put that in jeopardy,” said Michael, who also discussed how betting affects players, including how they receive backlash if they don’t play up to the bettors’ standards.

“So, it’s a part of the game now. I think that it’s obviously a dangerous habit. It’s a dangerous vice for people,” he said. “You know, the love of money is the root of all evil. So, I think that even though it is a thing, we as players just have to accept that. We get paid a lot of money to play this game, and I know these people, these fans, they want to make some money, as well. It’s definitely something that has kind of taken over the sporting world — I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

We have more from the Raptors:

Ochai Agbaji had a scary fall on Wednesday against the Knicks, landing hard on his back and being down for several minutes before being helped to the locker room, The New York Post’s Peter Botte observes. Agbaji did not return with a right hip contusion. After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic said Agbaji got X-rays but they didn’t show any signs of a fracture. “For a second it was really scary because he couldn’t move at all,” Rajakovic said. Agbaji won’t play on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen (Twitter link), but he’s all good and seems to mainly just be sore.
After trading away OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, the Raptors are lacking in size, Sportsnet.ca’s Michael Grange writes. Jakob Poeltl, Chris Boucher and Scottie Barnes, as well as Agbaji and Porter, are out. That left the Raptors with just Kelly Olynyk, Jalen McDaniels and Jordan Nwora as the only players on the standard roster available on Wednesday who were 6’8″ or above — 6’9″ two-way forward Mouhamadou Gueye was available as well.
The Raptors are heading into their final game of March at 1-13 in the month, with the sole win coming in a five-point home win over the 18-55 Hornets. This month has also featured losses to the 14-60 Wizards and 13-61 Pistons, as well as the franchise’s record for biggest home loss set two different times (41 points on March 5 against the Pelicans and 44 points on Wednesday against New York). As Koreen writes, the Raptors were on pace for 31 wins at the time of Barnes’ injury and they’ve been without their four most important players. Koreen opines that even though this month has been abysmal, it shouldn’t make fans doubt the Anunoby or Pascal Siakam trades, noting that the Raptors at least have a direction after three straight middling seasons.
RJ Barrett had his first media session on Friday following the tragic passing of his brother. “Basketball is my sanctuary, so this actually brings me peace,” Barrett said. “It helps me every day to be here, and also just be on a schedule and just be around the guys. Hanging out with your teammates… they’re funny, you get to hang out with them, you get to go practice and even support the guys when I’m not playing. Whatever it is, just being around has been helping a lot.” The Raptors organization and his teammates have tried to support Barrett and were all on hand for the funeral last week in Ontario, according to Grange.

Nuggets Notes: Caldwell-Pope, Murray, Porter, Jokic

March 22nd, 2024 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Re-signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be the Nuggets‘ top priority this summer, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Caldwell-Pope has a $15.4MM player option for next season, and there will be a “robust” market awaiting him if he decides to opt out, league sources tell Durando.

“It gets hard not to think about it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “But right now to me, it’s just trying to get to the playoffs, trying to win another championship, whether I have a player option or not. That’s the least of my worries. It’s just trying to play high-level basketball, whoever that may be with.”

The 31-year-old shooting guard was a valuable component to last season’s championship team because of his ability to match up with elite wing scorers. He’s also shooting 40.9% from three-point range since coming to Denver, providing a needed floor spacer around Nikola Jokic.

Durando notes that the Nuggets will be motivated to keep Caldwell-Pope after losing Bruce Brown in free agency last year, but there are financial ramifications to a new contract. Denver is currently within $4.7MM of the second tax apron, and a hefty salary boost for KCP would likely subject them to those provisions next season.

There’s more from Denver:

Jamal Murray left Thursday’s game in the final minute after appearing to hurt his leg on an awkward landing, but it doesn’t seem to be serious, Durando adds in a separate story. “Just turned his ankle a little bit,” coach Michael Malone said.
Michael Porter Jr. set a franchise record for most three-pointers in a season Thursday night, topping the mark of 192 formerly held by Dale Ellis, per Ryan McFadden of The Denver Post. “Even when (Porter) is not hot, it seems like he is going to make every shot,” Caldwell-Pope said. “For him to continue to shoot with that confidence is great for him and us.”
Jokic remains a clear favorite for MVP honors, according to Michael C. Wright of NBA.com. Jokic tightened his grip on the top spot in the MVP race by following up Tuesday’s 35-point, 16-rebound performance at Minnesota with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists Thursday against New York.

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