With ramblings about Jimmy Butler‘s uncertain future in Miami getting louder, the Denver Nuggets could get into the mix as one of the potential landing spots for the six-time NBA All-Star.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed a blockbuster trade idea that would form a new Big Three in Denver with Butler joining forces with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Denver Nuggets receive: Jimmy Butler and Alec Burks
Miami Heat receive: Michael Porter Jr., Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther, Zeke Nnaji and a 2031 first-round pick swap
This trade idea, according to Bailey, “could at least be offered” if both teams get off to a slow start and Butler becomes disgruntled in Miami.
Why the Nuggets Should Go All-in for Jimmy Butler?
This proposed trade would hurt the Nuggets’ depth but Butler’s star power and playoff-tested toughness would more than compensate for it.
Bailey views Butler as the perfect fit next to Jokic, one of the best, if not the best passing big man in NBA history which would offset the loss of Porter’s 3-point shooting.
“Michael Porter Jr. is eight years younger than Butler, and losing his three-point shooting would be a very real concern. Denver just finished the 2023-24 campaign in 25th place in threes made.
But there isn’t a player in the world who’d be better at leveraging Butler’s cutting and slashing than Jokić’s. The two-man game between those two would be unstoppable, giving the Nuggets another late-game option beyond the Jokić and Jamal Murray interplay,” Bailey wrote.
Butler has not played more than 64 games over the past three seasons, which irked Heat president Pat Riley. But Butler is a proven steady performer in the playoffs which would have helped the Nuggets in the last playoffs.
Having Butler and Murray as one of the two best clutch performers, the Nuggets couldn’t be more equipped in the stacked Western Conference to avoid last season’s Game 7 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals.
Michael Porter’s Playoff Struggles Haunt Nuggets
Porter is coming off a disappointing finish to his fifth NBA season.
The Nuggets swingman’s performance in their second-round loss was a stark contrast of his impressive outing in their first-round win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
After punishing the Lakers with 22.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in the first round, Porter Jr. could not replicate it against the suffocating Minnesota Timberwolves defense which held him to just 11.3 points and 5.4 boards.
“There are a lot of things we could’ve done differently as a team,” Porter told reporters after their Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves. “But I know if I would’ve played my part, we would’ve won this series. And I’ve got to live with that.”
While Porter did not want his personal problems to be an excuse for his poor performance, he admitted it was at the back of his mind.
“I’m not going to sit here and act like it wasn’t a burden and I wasn’t thinking about it all day every day,” Porter said after the Nuggets’ second-round exit. “But that’s still no excuse. I’m a better player than I played in this series. I’m a better shooter than I shot in this series. In the NBA, you have to be able to separate your off-the-court matters with your on-the-court-play.”
Two of the Nuggets star’s brothers were involved in scandals — Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA for gambling violations and Coban Porter was sentenced to six years in prison for the death of a 42-year-old woman in driving under the influence of alcohol crash last year.
Jontay Porter pleaded guilty on July 10 to a wire fraud conspiracy and was released on a $250,000 bond.
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Nuggets Trade Proposal Flips Michael Porter-Led Package for 6-Time NBA All-Star