3 Risks Denver Nuggets took by handing Michael Porter Jr. a max contract
In a move that seemed to shock a majority of the NBA, Michael Porter Jr. and the Denver Nuggets recently agreed to a five-year, $207-million extension. After being the number one prospect for years in high school, Porter suffered a substantial back injury before reaching the NCAA. Subsequently, he attended the University of Missouri and played a total of two minutes before another being plagued with another back injury.
Those concerns led to the talented wing falling to the Denver Nuggets at #14 in the 2018 NBA Draft. Porter recently mentioned on The Old Man & The Three podcast with JJ Redick that at the time, he was touted to potentially go in the top two throughout the predraft process. That was until a Los Angeles Clippers doctor said he thought there was a chance Michael Porter Jr. would never play basketball again in his life.
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The Denver Nuggets, known for their willingness to take risks in the middle of the first round, were not discouraged by that. Today, Porter is viewed as one of the steals from that draft class and posted impressive numbers in just his second season with playing time.
In 2020-21, Michael Porter Jr. averaged 19.0 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Denver Nuggets while converting 54.2 percent of his attempts from the field and an absurd 44.5 percent of his 6.3 attempts from three.
Still, $200-million makes Porter one of the highest paid players in the NBA, which has the potential to go sour for the Denver Nuggets. Here are three risks the Denver Nuggets took by handing Michael Porter Jr. a max contract.
#3 Michael Porter Jr.'s reliance on other Denver Nuggets players
Most players who receive maximum contracts in the NBA are reliable self creators and/or engines of their teams. Other players who aren't elite creators making similar money to what the Denver Nuggets agreed to pay Porter are Rudy Gobert, Klay Thompson, Tobias Harris, and Ben Simmons.
Tobias Harris may be a decent comparison for the 23-year-old wing, but that Harris contract is widely viewed as an overpay. The other names mentioned are All-Defense contenders on a yearly basis when healthy, which Porter has not shown to this point. His weakside rim protection has been progressing, but the Denver Nuggets' willingness to offer maximum money likely revolves around his scoring ability.
The trio of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. are a match made in heaven on the offensive end of the floor with Jokic as the obvious centerpiece. However, issues could emerge with the Porter contract if something were to happen to Jokic.
79.2 percent of Michael Porter Jr.'s points came off assists last season, meaning just 8.2 percent were self-created looks. Sure, the idea is that Porter is worth this deal to the Denver Nuggets because of his pairing with their MVP. There is just a risk in paying a player maximum money because of his fit with someone else.
Michael Porter Jr. appreciation post
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