The Denver Nuggets fell short in their bid to repeat as NBA champions with poor performances from Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in their second-round playoff loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sporting News’ Jake Uitti proposed a trade that could set up the Nuggets to rebound next season by going all-in and forming a Big Three, adding Kevin Durant to their dynamic duo of three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Denver Nuggets receive: Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns receive: Michael Porter Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 2028 and 2030 first-round picks
Uitti proposed this trade with the idea that “Caldwell-Pope opt into his player option for next season, perhaps with a wink and a nod that the Suns would extend him.”
He made arguments for both teams benefitting from this major trade — giving Suns roster depth which they lacked in their first-round flameout and replenishing their draft capital. At the same time, the Nuggets can continue to contend for titles in the immediate future with Durant, a 14-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP in their fold.
“For Denver, the trade shortens their window but it also makes them scarier over the next few seasons. Durant is flat-out better than Porter, even if he is 10 years older,” Uitti wrote.
Michael Porter Jr. Owns Blame in Nuggets’ Demise
Porter Jr. was hard on himself, taking the brunt of the blame for the Nuggets’ failure to defend their NBA title.
“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.”
His performance in their second-round loss and their first-round win over the Los Angeles Lakers was night and day.
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 Timberwolves defense which held him to just 11.3 points and 5.4 boards.
While he 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. “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 a driving under influence of alcohol crash last year.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Linked to Sixers
Even after Caldwell-Pope’s lackluster 2 of 7 shooting performance in 40 minutes in their Game 7 loss to the Timberwolves, he could still be in demand if he declines his $15.4 million player option and enters free agency.
The Philadelphia 76ers are believed to be interested in Caldwell-Pope if they miss out on their top two-way wing target Paul George, according to a league executive.
“The Sixers are going after a big name, like a Paul George or a Jimmy Butler if he comes available,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “But they’re going to put almost just as much attention on adding a role player, too. They’ve run through a lot of guys playing with Joel (Embiid) but they know they need a two-way guy, a guy who can create some space by shooting the 3.
“There are a few guys on the market who will be interesting as shooters—Klay Thompson, Gary Trent, Bruce Brown—but you are not going to get a better two-way guy than KCP. That’s the guy you want with Jo and Tyrese Maxey. So, if I’m the Nuggets, the Sixers are the serious danger here.”
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Blockbuster Nuggets Trade Proposal Upgrades Michael Porter Jr. To 14-Time NBA All-Star