The Nuggets refused to accept the status woe.
With the Western Conference looking like an arms race and the Eastern Conference a pillow fight, Denver did not act scared, bored or play the victim.
In their first move as a two-headed monster, Nuggets executives Jon Wallace and Ben Tenzer shipped Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson.
Wait. What?
Forget Frank Azar, Wallace and Tenzer are the new strong arms in town. Title hopes, like Bruce Brown, have returned.
From the moment Porter signed a max contract in 2021, we’ve debated and argued over his future. And, starting in 2024, we wished the Nuggets could sneak him into a carry-on bag to get him on the next flight out of DIA.
By Josh, these guys know what they are doing. Josh Kroenke insisted an unorthodox front office would excel, even as the team’s actions and offseason press conferences suggested Denver was prepared to run it back with the same ol’ starting five.
That offered zero chance of closing the gap on the Thunder, Timberwolves and Rockets.
The Nuggets privately and wisely reached this conclusion, realizing that welcoming back MPJ with open arms would lead to broken hearts in the playoffs. They offered a hint of change last week when they were linked as a sleeper to acquire Kevin Durant. Turns out they were serious.
There is no appropriate reaction to this trade but “Wow!” Or “(Bleeping) wow!”
The Nuggets rid themselves of Porter and received a similar shooter who is a stronger defender at a much more affordable price. Porter is due $79 million over the next two seasons, which is why most believed Denver would wait until 2026 to find a suitor for his expiring contract. Johnson will make $44.4 million over the same period.
Credit to Wallace and Tenzer for shedding the toughest contract since the Rockies shipped out Mike Hampton in 2002. That amounted to money laundering. In this deal, the Nuggets took the Nets to the cleaners.
Yes, they surrendered an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. That means when Nikola Jokic is 37, when the Nuggets could very well stink, they could miss out on the next Jamal Murray or Carmelo Anthony. Or it could prevent them from the embarrassment of drafting Emmanuel Mudiay or Doug McDermott. The draft, if you haven’t noticed, is not an exact science.
And who cares about what happens in seven years? Jokic is in his prime now. The Nuggets finally stopped talking about it and started acting like it.
This deal makes them better because of who they acquired, the room it created and the door it opened to bring back Brown on a one-year, veteran minimum deal. He is Russell Westbrook with more defense and less drama.
Can somebody find MPJ’s forwarding address, so we can send a thank-you card?
Let’s hope the Nets don’t sniff smelling salts before this deal becomes official on Sunday.
With this transaction, the Nuggets moved on from their most frustrating player and freed roughly $14.1 million to use on a non-taxed mid-level exemption. That means they could sign a legitimate backup center like Al Horford or another significant depth piece. New coach David Adelman needs someone on his bench to tap the brakes and limit possessions with Jokic out, while providing some scoring punch.
MPJ contributed significantly to the 2023 championship run. This will never be forgotten. He proved his durability and toughness. But, MRIs of his back, foot and shoulder made him more closely resemble Evel Knievel than Kon Knueppel.
The anger surrounding MPJ was always because of his salary. He was making top money as a third, sometimes fourth option. And let’s be honest, he had reached his ceiling in Denver. Brooklyn is an ideal spot for him to launch 25 shots a night and hear zero gripes about losing interest in rebounding or guarding his man.
Johnson’s jaw will drop when he realizes the space Jokic creates for open looks. He is capable of dropping 20 and offers more consistency than MPJ. Johnson and Brown are the kind of additions that show Wallace and Tenzer were not willing to sit around with notifications silenced on their phones as Denver became collateral damage in the West.
And Kroenke demonstrated he was capable of making the right decision, rather than being guided by emotions.
When it comes to his players, he has always seen them at their best. But let’s be clear, the Nuggets are a championship contender again because MPJ has left.
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