Tag: michael porter jr.

Michael Porter Jr. was notably benched amidst trade rumors for the Nuggets

This is worth monitoring for MPJ.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. was not on the court during an overtime win for his team against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Porter had just 8 points while shooting 2-of-8 with the worst plus-minus of anyone who played for the Nuggets yesterday. He checked out of the game in the third quarter and did not return despite the battle heading into overtime.

These things happen over the course of an 82-game season, and Porter just simply did not have it going on Sunday. Denver head coach Michael Malone clearly noticed this and decided to play those in his rotation who would bring more life to the court.

But the timing of the poor performance is particularly notable considering that Porter has found his name in trade rumors for the Nuggets recently.

The conversation began after an article from The Athletic linked Chicago’s Zach LaVine as a potential fit for Denver. For such a trade to happen, the Nuggets would have to include Porter’s salary.

According to the report, while the organization has discussed a possible extension for Porter, there was also talk of potentially including him in a deal for Paul George this past offseason.

Naturally, this led other reporters to look into the availability of Porter as well. Here is more from Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (via Substack):

“League sources say that the Nuggets have indeed weighed whether to trade away Michael Porter Jr.

What began with the Nuggets exploring the feasibility of trading Porter for Paul George this past summer, before George bolted Clipperland for Philadelphia in free agency, has expanded to internal discussions this season, sources say, about whether such a step has to be considered even more strongly now.”

This report speculated that perhaps Denver would prefer to move Porter for “two starting-caliber players” rather than one notable name like LaVine.

Possible combinations include Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter from the Hawks or Cameron Johnson and Dorrian Finney-Smith from the Nets.

Porter is 6-foot-10 and has shot above 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in his NBA career.

The list of players his height who shoot with his accuracy at his volume is an impressive group.

Still only 26 years old, while he has no All-Star appearances yet, there is still a lot to like about Porter. He has room to improve his consistency, and for the Nuggets, they may prefer to have depth in their rotation.

But no matter what, the timing of him getting benched in a close game while also amidst trade rumors is a situation that is worth monitoring for Porter and his potential suitors.

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Eastern Conference general manager says Lakers should go after Michael Porter Jr.

Would Michael Porter Jr. be a good trade target for the Lakers?

In each of the past two postseasons, the Denver Nuggets knocked out the Los Angeles Lakers. While many of the playoff games between the two teams were competitive for long stretches, the actual results weren’t. Denver swept the Lakers in last year’s Western Conference finals, and it dispatched them in five games in the first round this year.

Other than Jamal Murray, the Denver player who hurt L.A. the most is forward Michael Porter Jr. While he averaged 16.7 points a game during the regular season this year, he put up 22.8 points per game while shooting 55.3% from the field and 48.8% from 3-point range in the playoffs versus LeBron James and crew.

The Lakers need a reinforcement or two in order to go from a playoff team to a legitimate championship contender. There has been a great deal of talk that they will go after an upgrade in the backcourt, such as Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young.

One Eastern Conference general manager believes L.A. should go in a different direction. He said the team should target Porter.

Via Heavy Sports:

“If they want to get better, that is who they’d go after,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “They need a gunner who is not afraid to shoot, and they’d be much better off if he can be a 3-4 like LeBron, if he is not a size mismatch. A knockdown shooter who creates space, that’s the first step to getting them back to contender status again.”

While the Lakers shot a high percentage from downtown for a good portion of the season (they finished eighth in 3-point accuracy for the regular season), they were 28th in 3-point attempts. While no one thinks they should suddenly become a high-volume 3-point shooting team, they need more players who can make it rain on the regular from beyond the arc.

Porter has a career 3-point accuracy of 41% percent on 5.9 attempts per game, so he could help with that. However, it should be pointed out the 6-foot-10 25-year-old mustered just 10.7 points a contest on 37.1% overall shooting and 32.5% from downtown in the Nuggets’ second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A big thing to remember is he will make nearly $36 million next season, so his price would be steep for the Lakers. If they were to trade for them, they would be left with scant assets to secure an upgrade at the guard spot.

Plus, does anyone really believe the Nuggets, who spent substantial time after winning the NBA championship last season throwing shade at the Lakers, are willing to deal with the Lakers in good faith?

Should Sixers make an offseason run at Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr.?

Should the Philadelphia 76ers make a run at Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. in the offseason?

The Philadelphia 76ers have to get everything right in the 2024 offseason as they seek to upgrade the roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. They are armed with cap space and trade assets, so it’s important they push the right buttons.

President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey understands that the Sixers need a wing player who can produce in the playoffs. That has been something of an issue in recent postseason runs so he needs to address that need in the summer.

One option could be Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. He is signed with the Nuggets through the 2026-27 season, but he fits what Philadelphia needs. He can shoot the 3-ball at a high clip and takes a bunch of them. He certainly isn’t shy: He takes 6.8 3s per game and knocks down 39.7% of them.

While Porter has been a terrific fit next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in Denver, he has struggled at times. One has to think the Nuggets might shake their roster up a bit. He struggled in the finals against the Miami Heat in 2023 (14.3% from deep) and had a tough series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second-round loss (32.5% from deep).

Considering those moments, it’s fair to question why the Sixers would want Porter. However, his overall 3-point shooting is undeniable. He’s a career 38% shooter from deep in the playoffs and that would be perfect next to Embiid and Maxey just as he was next to Jokic and Murray.

The big issue is Philadelphia likely doesn’t have anything substantial to offer Denver. The Sixers have a number of draft picks and the cap space to absorb Porter’s contract, but not much else. A third team would certainly have to be involved so the Nuggets can get a win-now player for their own title window after winning the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2023.

Either way, the Sixers should at least check in. Morey has to weigh a great many options this offseason, and one has to figure Porter will be one of those options. He can shoot and isn’t bashful about any of his opportunities.

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Mock trade sees Spurs land Michael Porter Jr. in deal with Nuggets

In this mock trade, the San Antonio Spurs would land Michael Porter Jr. from the Denver Nuggets.

As the San Antonio Spurs look to improve their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer, there are a lot of things they need. One need is additional three-point shooting. A mock trade written by Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report would see the Spurs add Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, and the 28th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft while sending Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, and Zach Collins to the Denver Nuggets.

“Jones and Collins would fill the backup point guard and center spots in Denver, giving this team a rotation that can go nine-deep in the playoffs once again,” Swawrtz wrote. “San Antonio gets the best overall player in the deal and has a clean enough cap sheet to absorb Porter’s contract and still retain cap space. His outside shooting would make a big difference for a Spurs team that ranked just 28th in three-point accuracy (34.7 percent) this season.”

Porter Jr.’s shooting and rebounding would make him an amazing fit next to Wembnyama, creating a nice frontcourt trio of those two and Wembanyama.

The Spurs would have to find a new point guard after this trade, but getting Porter Jr. would make it worth it.

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The Nuggets warmed up in slides against the Lakers because their bus carrying their shoes was late

Los Angeles traffic hit the Nuggets at the worst possible time.

Entering Saturday night, the Denver Nuggets were looking to sweep their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. But after shooting just 44.8 percent from the field in a 119-108 loss, it seems even their pregame routine was thrown out of rhythm.

You see, Nuggets players were forced to weirdly use their slides during their pregame warmups. No, this wasn’t some deal about saving their legs or any kind of change in strategy. What happened was that Denver’s team bus carrying the players’ shoes was actually delayed getting to the arena, forcing the Nuggets to adapt on the fly and work with what they had, per DNVR’s Harrison Wind.

In this case, all they had there was their slides, leading to what looked like an incredibly awkward pregame warmup:

The Nuggets’ team bus did eventually arrive, but by then, there was minimal time left for a full warmup in the players’ regular game shoes:

After the game, while he didn’t use the warmup in slides as an excuse for his team’s overall performance, Nuggets sharpshooter Michael Porter Jr. (who still dropped 27 points and 10 rebounds in the loss) admitted that not having his shoes for his usual routine did frustrate him a little because of how important that pregame process can be.

Nonetheless, he and the rest of the Nuggets are already moving forward:

Michael Porter Jr. says he supports the WNBA, but his recent hypocrisy says otherwise

Michael Porter Jr. seems to only be using women’s sports as a springboard, and we shouldn’t allow him to.

This season, NBA player Michael Porter Jr. has dedicated his in-season shoewear to driving more awareness to Breanna Stewart’s game and other talented WNBA players who deserve their flowers. But a recent podcast appearance raises questions about his reasoning for doing so.

Porter has been adamant that WNBA players should have their own signature shoes. However, his tone was seemingly much different when he sat down with Ryan Clark’s The Pivot Podcast to discuss other issues affecting women’s basketball players, like the pay disparity between the NBA and WNBA. Former NFL player Fred Taylor asked Porter if he’s been outspoken about the pay wages in the WNBA, and his response is turning heads.

(See the clip below and the 35:40 mark of the video for full context.)

Here’s what Michael Porter Jr. said:

“I see it from both sides. I know these females want to get paid more and they’re very talented, but so is a famous ping pong player. The best ping pong player is just as talented as the best basketball player. That doesn’t mean they’re going to get paid the same. It’s what the people want to watch. As much as I understand females wanting the same treatment as men basketball players, it’s a different sport. They’re not packing out the arenas. Their TV deals aren’t the same. So, as much as I advocate for women and their equality and the respect of their craft and all those things, you can’t pay them the same thing. I do feel like there should be a little way to make a little bit more money because they are very talented.”

Where do I start?

Is it when he referred to the players as females and did not use the same language for his counterparts, thereby reducing their value to only that of what they are biologically?

Is it when he was dismissive of ping pong and women’s basketball players in their respective sports and then suggested that women’s basketball isn’t truly basketball?

Is it when he suggests that people don’t watch women’s basketball and aren’t packing out arenas, like the WNBA did for the 2023 finals? (Or when the Atlanta Dream led the league in sell-out games?) Is it when he says you can’t pay women the same thing but then says he’s an advocate for women?

I’m trying to understand how Porter can claim to be an advocate but then be uninformed and dismissive of those same women. I’m trying to wrap my mind around how Porter is for the WNBA, but doesn’t know the progress a league just under 28 years old has made compared to the NBA, which has been around for over 75 years, despite clear hurdles to equality and growth.

(For comparison, the NBA was still struggling in its 30th year of operation, and it stayed that way well into the 1980s, as playoff games were taped on delay at the time. It’s no secret that the WNBA has faced its fair share of hurdles, but ignoring its tremendous growth, especially in 2023, is an intentional choice.)

Porter’s response to someone asking about what he has done to support women in their quest for better pay leads me to believe that his recent advocacy through shoes is merely performative. His campaign feels inauthentic and screams, “I stand with women’s basketball players, like my mom and my siblings, but I draw the line at tangible actions to support them.”

Porter’s words are incredibly alienating, but I can’t say that I’m shocked by his seemingly disingenuous aurora. It is a painfully loud reminder of how far the WNBA must go to combat misconceptions and discrimination. Everyone wants to be an advocate until it’s time to be an advocate.

Be better, Michael Porter Jr., and, for goodness’ sake, educate yourself.

Nuggets’ Michael Porter Jr. admires Breanna Stewart’s game and her shoes

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. recently signed a shoe deal extension with Puma, and wants to continue to push the brand forward.

There have only ever been 12 players with their own signature shoes bearing their name. With the WNBA finished with its 27th season, that is roughly .44 shoe deals per season.

The first shoe deal in WNBA history was the Nike Air Swoopes in 1995, named after legendary player Sheryl Swoopes. In 2021, New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart signed a deal with Puma and was the 10th player in WNBA history to have a signature shoe.

“Hopefully, Puma and I will set the standard and the bar for many more WNBA players deserving a signature shoe,” said Stewart.

Since then, Washington Mystic’s Elena Delle Donne and New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu have had shoe deals. However, Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. is looking to change that.

“You have guys wearing women’s shoes, and it’s usually the other way around,” Porter told Boardroom. “We want to bring more awareness to the WNBA and give those women the flowers that they deserve. I just think it’s cool for me to be able to represent that.”

Porter recently signed a shoe deal extension with Puma, and he wants to continue to push the brand forward along with shining a spotlight on the players of the WNBA.

“I’ve always admired Stewie’s game since back at UConn,” Porter said. “She’s broken tons of records, and ever since her rookie year in the WNBA, she’s done some amazing things. She’s always been a hooper to me.”

He sports Stewart’s signature shoes, the Puma Stewie 2s, on the court and continues to do what he can to support his fellow ballers.

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How Michael Porter Jr. is using his Breanna Stewart’s Stewie 2s to help ignite talk around WNBA signature shoes

Michael Porter Jr. is proudly wearing Breanna Stewart’s Stewie 2s and loving them.

The WNBA only has 12 players who have signature shoes. That’s why accessibility and visibility matter, and part of the reason NBA champion Michael Porter Jr. is wearing Breanna Stewart’s signature shoes this season.

The WNBA is growing, and so is the popularity of its stars. It’s not uncommon now to look across the court and see college basketball players or NBA stars wearing Sabrina Ionescu’s signature shoe, the Sabrina 1.

But what about her teammate and 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart? Stewart also has signature shoes, and the latest version, the Stewie 2s, are being worn by Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets. Porter Jr., who has strong family ties to women’s hoops, is rocking his Stewies 2’s after signing an extension with Puma and to show his love for the sport.

Per Nick DePaula of Boardroom, Porter’s mission is to raise more awareness about Breanna Stewart’s shoes and advocate for other great WNBA hoopers to have a signature shoe:

“I’ve always admired Stewie’s game since back at UConn,” he said. “She’s broken tons of records, and ever since her rookie year in the WNBA, she’s done some amazing things. She’s always been a hooper to me.”

“You have guys wearing women’s shoes, and it’s usually the other way around,” he adds. “We want to bring more awareness to the WNBA and give those women the flowers that they deserve. I just think it’s cool for me to be able to represent that.”

 

Takeaways: Jalen Green enjoys road breakout as Nuggets handle short-handed Rockets

Jalen Green was very efficient with 26 points and 9 assists on hot shooting, but the defending NBA champs had too much for the weary and short-handed Rockets.

The NBA is barely over a month into its 2023-24 regular season, yet due to a scheduling quirk, the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets have already met three times (with a fourth looming next week).

This time, on night two of a road back-to-back, it’s the Rockets who were more short-handed. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet (left thumb sprain) and reserve forward Jae’Sean Tate (left knee soreness) each missed their first game of the season with nagging injuries.

On the other side, Jamal Murray returned from a lengthy hamstring injury, which forced him to miss the earlier Denver-Houston games. Between that and a 30-point outburst by Michael Porter Jr., who made 7-of-12 from 3-point range (58.3%), it was enough for the Nuggets (13-6) to secure a 134-124 win (box score).

Perennial All-Star center and MVP candidate Nikola Jokic was dominant, as usual, with 32 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds, shooting 12-of-19 from the field (63.2%) on Wednesday night.

Yet, the Rockets (8-8) did have clear positives, starting with Jalen Green. The third-year shooting guard, who has largely struggled on the road this season, finished with 26 points and 9 assists while shooting an impressive 8-of-12 from the field (66.7%), 5-of-8 on 3-pointers (62.5%), and 5-of-6 on free throws (83.3%). Alperen Sengun added 22 points and 7 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting (55.6%).

Here’s our look at highlights and postgame interviews after Wednesday’s game in Denver, along with reaction by media members and fans. The Los Angeles Lakers (10-8) are next up on Houston’s schedule, with Saturday’s road tipoff set for 9:30 p.m. Central.

Bryce Young gives NBA comparisons for himself, C.J. Stroud

Panthers QB Bryce Young revealed his NBA comparisons for himself and for Texans QB C.J. Stroud.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young has gotten comparisons to Golden State Warriors guard (and Carolina Panthers fan) Steph Curry, even before he was a Carolina Panthers quarterback. But he may not necessarily agree with that evaluation, at least when it comes to actually playing basketball.

Young spoke with reporters this afternoon, just a few days ahead of meeting the Houston Texans and fellow rookie passer C.J. Stroud for their Week 8 showdown. The longtime friendship of the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks was, of course, a topic of discussion during the presser—which even ventured into the hardwood.

“He can hoop,” he said of Stroud’s basketball skills. “We have different games. I’m more of a point. He’s a shooter. He can shoot. He got a strap. He’s a shooter-off-the-catch type of player. I’m more on-the-ball. He can hoop, for sure.”

So, if he can hoop, who does he hoop like? Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tried to get to the bottom of it, asking Young about his NBA comparisons for himself and for Stroud.

“I’d like to say my comparison, is probably like a Darius Garland,” he replied. “And then C.J. . . . that’s a good question. Um, that’s a good question. Honestly, I’d say like a, low key like a Michael Porter Jr. Like, he can hit contested shots, like, not see contests. Just gonna let it go and it’ll go in. See, y’all start askin’ me basketball questions, that’s when I start gettin’ excited.”

Comparisons to an All-Star point guard and a reigning NBA champion? Yeah, we’d say he’s pretty excited.

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