Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has agreed on a five-year max extension worth up to $207 million, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Porter has to make one of the three All-NBA Teams in 2021-22 in order to get that max number, otherwise this deal is worth $172 million.
The Nuggets are shelling out a lot of money to lock in their core of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Porter. Gordon recently just signed a four-year extension worth $92 million.
Denver also projects to have $156M in salary and will go into the luxury tax for the first time since 2009-10. https://t.co/zSWbWfp3mE
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 27, 2021
The Nuggets are still awaiting the return of Murray from a torn ACL suffered last season, so Porter will continue to be that No. 2 option behind Jokic. The 23-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2020-21, putting up 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting an incredible 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from 3-point range.
While he's not much of a playmaker or defender, Porter's ridiculously efficient scoring ability is special. He has one of the sweetest jumpers in the NBA and should only continue to improve on a talented Nuggets squad.
Securing this contract is quite the accomplishment for Porter after back injuries ruined his one year at Missouri and forced him to fall in the 2018 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 star dropped to 14th in that draft and then didn't play in his first season because of the back issues. He then showed flashes in 2019-20 before his breakout last season.
The Nuggets will be good without Murray to start this upcoming season, and then they're hoping to be a legitimate title contender once the star guard is back in the lineup. Denver is paying a lot for this core and is hoping for championship results.
Follow Us
Subscribe