Denver Nuggets young rising star Michael Porter Jr. officially signed a five-year max extension with the team on Tuesday. If anything, this further proves that the Nuggs are all in on their core consisting of reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and of course, Porter Jr. This makes the Nuggets also one of the few teams who have three huge contracts on their roster, joining the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
And in fairness to the Nuggets, buying in on their current core makes sense. If it weren’t for Murray’s injury last season, it’s fair to argue that Denver would have made a push. Jokic was playing on another level, Porter Jr. was on a role offensively, Gordon was fitting in but sadly, all hopes and dreams for the title went out the window when Murray went down.
Thing 1 and Thing 2 if they were both really good at basketball. pic.twitter.com/6pObPqCD88
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 28, 2021
Now that Murray is set to return this season, the Nuggets could be back in the contender tier — especially if they make noise in the competitive western conference. That said, here are three reasons why Porter Jr.’s massive contract only solidifies this championship window for the Nuggets moving forward.
Michael Porter Jr. – Nuggets Perfection
The Nuggets are only getting more experienced
The Nuggets may be in “win now” mode but at least, they argue they have the longest time among any contender. The veteran Lakers team won’t last more than two seasons (due to age and their contracts) while teams like the Nets and Warriors could make vital moves if they don’t win all this season. But the Nuggets do not because they got their young guns locked up as they continue to garner experience and improve.
The Nuggets can recruit more key pieces
Denver acquiring Gordon at the trade deadline only proves the fact that they’re doing everything they can to build around their core. Before Murray went down, Gordon was an exceptional glue guy who developed solid chemistry with Jokic and was even a threat on both sides of the floor. He was a defensive piece that often guarded the 3-D wings, which we know in the Western Conference are the likes of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Paul Goerge.
Cleared for many, many more takeoffs 🛫
Let's roll, @Double0AG! pic.twitter.com/98OfFJuOwt
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) September 28, 2021
Adding another player who is hungry to join a contender is a huge possibility now for the Nuggets because of their roster. Who doesn’t want to play with an unselfish player like Jokic? Or a tough strong-willed player like Murray? Even Michael Porter Jr. is so good that it wouldn’t be a shocker if he has a breakout season this year. With what Denver has, at least they’re poised to recruit a key player.
The chemistry has been established
All the Nuggets really need is Murray to get back on the court. The core has already played a good amount of games together and looked like one of if not the best teams in the western conference last season when Gordon was first acquired. Their strongly built chemistry will already be an advantage for the Nuggets and from what we’ve seen, they all seem to fit really well together — which is why Tim Connelly is probably betting on this core — which includes Michael Porter Jr. — for the long run.
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