Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the team will not be trading Michael Porter Jr. this week.
With the NBA’s annual trade deadline set at 1 p.m. MT Thursday, Malone was asked whether he had touched base recently with Porter, who is Denver’s premier trade candidate.
“We’re not trading Michael Porter, so I’m not touching base with anybody on that,” Malone answered. “I’m touching base with the guys on better defense, better spacing, taking care of the ball. And if there’s something coming, obviously (general manager Calvin Booth) will talk with me, and I’m sure we’ll communicate with whatever players.
“But Michael is a really important piece. Michael helped us win a championship. So we’ll see what happens going into this coming Thursday, but to my knowledge, there have been no (trade) conversations. I don’t feel the need to converse with somebody when there’s nothing there.”
Porter scored a season-high 36 points on Monday night in Denver’s win over the Pelicans. The 26-year-old forward is averaging 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 51.3% from the field and 40.8% from the 3-point line.
The Nuggets at no point have felt eager to part with Porter, but they discussed the possibility of pursuing a star player such as Zach LaVine earlier this season, sources told The Denver Post. That would have required Porter to be included in any potential deal for salary-matching purposes. LaVine was traded to Sacramento last weekend.
“As long as I’m here, I’m going to be here and I’m going to be happy, and I’m going to play hard and try to be available and try to help win games,” Porter said Monday night. “And if the day came where they wanted to trade me, and they wanted to go a different direction, then I’ll be excited for the new opportunity. But it’s not something that I think about at all. It’s not something I’m stressed about, anxious about. … From what I’ve heard, they’re not interested in moving me, but that can change.”
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