Hi all,

Off-season trade here, let me know your thoughts. Watching recent Nuggets games I think it’s pretty clear that Michael Malone doesn’t quite trust MPJ in the closing stages. I think there’s a tried and tested formula for building around offensive superstars like Jokic and this move would conform to that so we’re moving Porter to the Blazers in return for two former Nuggets, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic. Here’s why each team makes the trade:

Nuggets: as mentioned above there’s a formula for building around stars and Porter doesn’t quite fit in next to Jokic. This move balances their roster and addresses their need for a steady back up center. While the Nuggets downgrade their shooting and probably lower their ceiling Grant is an instant fit at SF and means that they can surround Jokic and Murray with high end 3&D talent to close games. Grant is a lights out 3 point shooter particularly on C&S opportunities, can operate a in the PnR and attack a close out. Grant has also proved this year that he can thrive next to surplus offensive talent and put up points in more limited usage than what he was accustomed to in Detroit. Grant can close for the Nuggets, bolster their bench units and guard tough wing assignments better than anyone else in the roster.

In addition to Grant Nurkic would return to Colorado and providing he can take the ego bashing become one of the better back up centers in the league. Nurkic would enable Jokic to have nights off, should feast against bench units and with some creative staggering I can see him running a decent two man game with Jamaal Murray in an attempt to boost Denver’s disastrous second unit.

On the defensive side of the ball Nurk would allow the Nuggets to play the same defensive scheme 48 minutes a night, Nurkic is used to hedging and blitzing in Portland and while he’s a negative value contract these players have their homes on teams with cap space to burn or a locked in championship roster. The Nuggets would be the latter.

This would leave Denver with a rotation for 23-24 like this:

PG: Murray, SG: KCP, SF: Grant, PF: Gordon, C: Jokic - bench, Brown, Braun, Nurkic, Cancar, Watson - the likes of Jackson, Green and Bryant could all resign.

This is closer to what a championship roster looks like. More defensive depth around a super offensive talent. Decent two way players and a slightly more mature group that a vet coach like Michael Malone will go to war with. This probably shortens Denver’s window but it addresses two key needs if they fall short this year.

Blazers:

I think this is a fantastic deal for the Blazers. They get the highest upside player in the trade in Porter and they get off of a bad Nurkic deal.

It also gives them the flexibility to really pick a lane for the next few years. Dame will be coming off a career year in Portland but despite that they feel further away from contention than ever before. Porter could be a legitimate star and with Nurkic off the books the Blazers could throw in their pieces for a star Center. I think they could make a compelling Towns offer around Anfernee Simons and try to compete from there. (A core of Lillard, Porter and Towns would surely be the most fun team in the league, would they be more unguardable or unable to guard?) Or with another promising young player they could finally move Dame for a plethora of picks and look to rebuild around Simmons, Sharpe, Porter, this years draft pick and future acquisitions. Either path would be exciting and I think Portland fans deserve a commitment either way.

Let me know your thoughts on the trade and what direction you’d pick as Portland!