After the Denver Nuggets defeated the New Orleans Pelicans on February 3rd, 2025, head coach, Michael Malone, answered a burning question. Malone stated after being asked about a potential trade that there are no current plans to trade away Michael Porter Jr., who had just poured in a season-best 36 points to go along with seven three-point shots made in the victory.
“No because we’re not trading Michael Porter, so I’m not touching base with anybody on that,” Michael Malone told reporters. “I’m touching base with the guys on better defense, better spacing, taking care of the ball, and if something is coming, obviously Calvin (Booth) will talk with me, and I’m sure we’ll communicate with whatever players, but yeah, Michael is a really important piece. Michael helped us win a championship, so we’ll see what happens going into Thursday. But to my knowledge, there have been no conversations. I don’t feel the need to converse with somebody when there’s nothing there.”
If this is true, the Nuggets seem to be content with their core going forward. After a slow start to the season, Denver has regained their footing and is currently the fourth-best team in the Western Conference. Denver might add an end-of-the-rotation piece, but do not expect the Nuggets to make any splashy moves that causes waves across the NBA landscape.
Michael Malone Says Team Will Not Trade Small Forward, Michael Porter
Michael Porter’s Season
Porter is having a solid season. He has become one of the more durable players on the Denver Nuggets as he has missed only one matchup over the past couple seasons. Remember, there were concerns about his durability coming into the league due to back issues. On the year, Porter is averaging 18.3 points, 6.4 total rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He is also tallying a field goal percentage of 51.3 percent to couple with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.8 percent. The six-foot-10 wing is also averaging an offensive rating of 123, a true shooting percentage of 62.7 percent, and an assists percentage of 8.9 percent, tied for his career-best in this category.
Porter has truly found a home with the Denver Nuggets. He has solidified himself as the third or fourth scoring option and has thrived playing alongside Nikola Jokić. If Denver did trade Michael Porter, they would be losing an integral part of their core who has developed terrific chemistry with the squad. Considering all of this, expect the Nuggets to roll with the same core that brought them their first title two seasons ago.
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