NBA Rumors: Michael Porter Jr. 'Likely' to Be Included in Any 'Big' Nuggets Trade

Veteran forward Michael Porter Jr. might be the marquee trade chip the Denver Nuggets use in a blockbuster swap, according to The Athletic's Tony Jones and Sam Amick.

Jones and Amick reported that "any big trade would likely involve Porter," with the insiders citing Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine as a prospective target.

The pursuit of LaVine points to the need for the Nuggets to shake something up with their core.

They're 14-10 and fifth in the Western Conference. Only two games separate them from the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs.

Denver is also 13th in net rating (plus-2.5), per NBA.com, after finishing fourth last year. This is despite Nikola Jokić having another MVP-caliber season. He's averaging 30.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 9.9 assists through 21 appearances.

If they wanted to significantly improve their supporting cast around Jokić, then they'd have to consider sacrificing Porter or guard Jamal Murray. In the case of Murray, he's probably too valuable to Denver as the sidekick to Jokić, and he can't be traded this season anyway after signing his four-year, $208 million extension in September.

That leaves Porter, who's in the midst of another solid campaign. He's averaging 18.5 points on 51.2 percent shooting, including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6'10" standout would be an impactful contributor for another contender or somebody a team in a rebuild could flip down the line. For the Nuggets, his $35.9 million salary is also necessary to make the finances work when acquiring another star.

A Porter swap isn't a fait accompli, with Jones and Amick reporting the 2023 NBA champions "value Porter and what he does for the spacing of Denver's offense significantly." They've also discussed an extension with the 26-year-old, who can become a free agent in 2027.

But general manager Calvin Booth knows the cost if he wants to shop at the top end of the trade market.