Latest news with #MichaelPorterJr
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nuggets Predicted to Trade Star Forward in 3-Team Mock Trade Involving Lakers, Nets
Nuggets Predicted to Trade Star Forward in 3-Team Mock Trade Involving Lakers, Nets originally appeared on Athlon Sports. NBA trade rumors have begun to the heat up with the offseason right around the corner as teams look to upgrade their roster this summer. Advertisement One team that has seen their fair share of trade rumors is the Denver Nuggets who may end up making some moves this summer after being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Of course, the Nuggets are trying to capitalize on Nikola Jokic's prime as they try to win another championship but they may need to retool their roster around the three-time MVP to become contenders once again. Apr 11, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) reacts before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Because of this, many of the Nuggets' players have been in trade rumors but the main one that continues to talked about is their star forward Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr. put together a career-best season this year but with Denver lacking assets, he could be their main part of a package to upgrade their roster. Advertisement With this in mind, Sports Illustrated's Liam Willerup recently proposed a three-team mock trade that includes the Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. In the trade, Willerup has Denver receiving Dalton Knecht and Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles receiving Nicolas Claxton and Brooklyn receiving Porter Jr. and a 2031 first-round pick via the Lakers. Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton takes a rebound away from Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji during their game at Scotiabank Arena on March 25, Hamilton-Imagn Images This is an interesting trade but one that could benefit all three teams involved. For the Lakers, they would complete their goal of adding a new starting center and they would receive a solid one in Claxton. For the Nets, they would add a potential star in the making in Porter Jr. who would finally be the focal point on offense. Advertisement Denver would also add some key pieces with Hachimura taking over Porter Jr.'s spot while also adding a young bench piece in Knecht to upgrade their second unit offensively. Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht.© Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images While this trade may work well for all the teams involved, the Nuggets have expressed no interest in moving on from Porter Jr. this summer but they may have to if they want to become title contenders once again. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nuggets Add Much-Needed Depth in 3-Team Mock Trade Including Jazz, Hawks
The Denver Nuggets' season came to an unfortunate end when they fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. It was the second-straight playoff series in which the Nuggets played seven games. It seemed to take its toll, as Jokic sometimes looked tired, and Aaron Gordon suffered a hamstring injury in Game 6. Advertisement The Nuggets will have to make some choices before pursuing any trades or free agents, as they haven't decided whether to offer interim General Manager Ben Tenzer the position full-time. Nuggets add much-needed depth in 3-team mock trade Depth, or lack thereof, was arguably Denver's biggest issue heading into the postseason. Julian Strawther had moments, but there really weren't many options head coach David Adelman felt comfortable with putting out on the floor. In a mock trade from Jackson Caudell from Atlanta Hawks site, he has Denver addressing their lack of depth with a three-team trade. Advertisement In the trade, the Hawks would receive Collin Sexton from the Utah Jazz and Peyton Watson from the Nuggets. Denver would receive John Collins, Jordan Clarkson, Svi Mykhailiuk, Terance Mann and a slew of second-round draft picks. The Jazz would receive Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric, Hunter Tyson, the No. 22 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick from the Nuggets. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Chenoy-Imagn Images Porter Jr.'s shoulder injury really hampered Denver down the stretch, which was the last thing a team with depth issues needed. Collins and Clarkson could help the Nuggets, but it would be difficult to play Collins and Gordon together with Jokic. While the Nuggets desperately need a bench scorer, they would likely push to acquire Sexton rather than Clarkson, who will be 33 years old at the start of next season. Advertisement However, it's likely that, once the new general manager is in place, they would likely explore Michael Porter Jr.'s trade value across the NBA. Nuggets Add Much-Needed Depth in 3-Team Mock Trade Including Jazz, Hawks first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nuggets name David Adelman head coach, removing interim tag: Source
One of the first dominoes of Denver's offseason has fallen. The Nuggets have removed the interim tag on coach David Adelman and given him the job full time, a team source confirmed on Thursday. ESPN first reported the news. Adelman took the role on an interim basis after Denver fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth late in the season. He coached the final three games of the regular season and through two rounds of the postseason, which ended for Denver on Sunday with a Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement In that short time frame, Adelman more than proved himself worthy of the job. He received a sharp endorsement from players such as Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. after Denver was eliminated from the postseason. His ability to galvanize a roster that was teetering on the brink of emotional detachment went a long way toward saving a season that was heading toward disappointment. His adjustments in Denver's first-round series win over the LA Clippers proved enormous. When the Clippers defensively bottled up star center Nikola Jokić with double teams early in the series, Adelman had Jokić operate from the sides of the floor, rather than the middle of the floor, so he could see where the doubles were coming from. When the Nuggets needed energy from their bench in their second-round series against OKC, Adelman inserted Julian Strawther into his rotation, and Strawther responded with a 15-point Game 6 that helped force Game 7. Most of all, Adelman presented himself as a strong voice at the head of the organization. He showed confidence and leadership. He owned every decision, even the ones that didn't work, such as his choice to play Jokić for the entire second half of Game 5, which ended with the Thunder rallying for the win that forever changed the series. Adelman is the son of former NBA head coach Rick Adelman. He is a former high school basketball teammate of Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. He has been around the game his entire life, and now gets the chance to lead a roster that features one of the greatest players of this generation.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Warriors Named Favorites for $207 Million NBA Champion in Blockbuster Trade
Steph Curry needs help. This fact was made abundantly clear in the Golden State Warriors' 4-1 series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Warriors surprisingly took Game 1 in Minnesota, but they ended up losing four straight with Curry sidelined due to a hamstring injury. Advertisement It appears that the Warriors' front office is already bracing itself for what could be a very eventful offseason—one that could potentially involve the arrival of some reinforcements as this team looks to contend for a title again next season. One player who is currently being linked to a move away from his current team is 6-foot-10 forward Michael Porter Jr, who is currently under contract with the Denver Nuggets after signing a five-year max extension worth at least $173 million back in 2021. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) before the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The Nuggets also suffered a second-round exit this year, and there has been talk of a potential roster shake-up in Denver as well. Porter Jr. is one of the names who have popped up as potential trade candidates in the offseason. Advertisement Should he hit the trade market, Porter Jr. will have no shortage of suitors around the NBA. The good news for Warriors fans is that well-known online sportsbook Bovada has named their team as the favorites to land the former Missouri star this summer. As the above post indicates, the Warriors currently have the best odds to secure the services of Porter Jr. at +300. The Chicago Bulls (+400) and the Los Angeles Lakers (+600) round out the top 3 in what is looking like a tight race for the 26-year-old stud. It is worth noting, however, that Porter Jr. remains a key figure in Denver's current roster. They will likely ask for a lot in return for him should the Nuggets decide to place him on the trade block. Advertisement At this point, it remains to be seen if the Warriors are in possession of the necessary assets to make a blockbuster trade deal work, and more importantly, if they are willing to potentially meet the Nuggets' asking price for Porter Jr. Related: Draymond Green Makes Bold Prediction About Jonathan Kuminga's Warriors Future Related: Steve Kerr Had Words for Anthony Edwards After Warriors-Timberwolves Series
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Thunder stay ‘in character,' join a delightfully surprising NBA Final Four
OKLAHOMA CITY — It would have been one thing if these youthful, exuberant and absurdly-talented Oklahoma City Thunder imposed their will on the decimated Denver Nuggets in this West semifinal series, sweeping them en route to asserting their title-contending superiority or, at worst, sending them home with a gentleman's sweep. Advertisement But they didn't. Or if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was so magnificent that it made you wonder how any defense could possibly stop him (and by proxy, them) during this (soon-to-be) MVP campaign. That didn't happen, either. This was a seven-game slugfest, one that revealed the Nuggets' championship grit amid so many setbacks (Aaron Gordon's hamstring, Michael Porter Jr.'s shoulder) while exposing the warts (inexperience and inconsistency) that still exist on this loaded Thunder team that is the youngest ever to reach the West finals. And in this postseason where everything we thought we learned the past six months has since been cast aside, with purported juggernauts like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers getting bounced in humbling fashion and so many teams that were once considered middle-of-the-pack (Minnesota, New York and Indiana) somehow surviving, nothing that unfolded in the Thunder's Game 7 win on Sunday (125-93) changed this delightful truth about the NBA's Final Four. This title is up for grabs in the most glorious of ways. In this age of parity and second-apron hell that has all been by (Collective Bargaining Agreement) design, you couldn't ask for a better flurry at the finish. The Knicks, having reached the East finals for the first time in a quarter century, have all of New York City going bonkers over the possibility of a title that would be their first since 1973. The Pacers, whose turnaround from a 10-15 start to this beautiful basketball has been piloted by renaissance man Rick Carlisle, look capable of winning the franchise's first NBA championship. The Minnesota Timberwolves, who so many believed were mortgaging their future (for financial purposes) when they made the decision to swap Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo last summer, have not only returned to the West finals for a second consecutive time but are on an absolute roll in these past 11 weeks (they're 25-5 since March 2, including playoffs). And then there's the Thunder, who wreaked havoc on the regular season only to come so dangerously close to joining the other ill-fated elites when the second round rolled around. Advertisement Instead, we get to witness Gilgeous-Alexander and his dynamic bunch go up against Anthony Edwards and his Timberwolves team that so many left for dead. 'My gut says OKC wins the series,' one scout relayed Sunday night. 'Their defensive coverages and schemes are so good. (They're) closing up the paint and rotating out of scheme, then they have the best scorer in the game who has proven to come through when they need it.' May the best young star (and his squad) win. As Gilgeous-Alexander and I discussed in mid-April, there's a counter-intuitive truth that comes with this Thunder squad. While their youth should inspire patience, with the 26-year-old SGA the elder statesmen of a core that also includes Jalen Williams (24) and Chet Holmgren (23), the life-comes-at-you-fast nature of this modern-day NBA climate means there's simply no (contending) time to waste. Just ask the Celtics, whose dreams of long-term dominance were in serious peril even before Jayson Tatum's Achilles' tendon tear and are all but gone now. On the one hand, this Thunder team is constructed in a way that hopes to contend for a title for the next half-decade — at least. On the other, a second-round loss would have welcomed questions about whether they needed to fast-track the program with a blockbuster move for another superstar like, say, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (though league sources indicate that was highly unlikely regardless of the playoff result). '(It's) like (Thunder) coach (Mark Daigneault) said a couple weeks ago, this group that we have today could be the best group of players I ever play with,' Gilgeous-Alexander told me back then. 'You think, 'Oh, we're all 25 or under, so we have a whole runway in front of us.' But you never know what happens.' Little did he know how true those words would be. Advertisement All in all, the Thunder — who overcame a double-digit deficit early on — deserve immense credit for getting the Game 7 job done. Gilgeous-Alexander, who admitted that nerves were a factor early on in what was the first Game 7 for the core players, finished with 35 points (12-of-19 shooting) while playing his pivotal role on the other end as well. Williams (24 points, seven assists) busted his slump at the perfect time, and Holmgren (13 points, 11 rebounds) was a constant threat at the rim on both ends. Alex Caruso, the 6-foot-5 defensive savant who spent so much of the evening frustrating the 6-11 Nikola Jokić, was the real MVP of the night (Jokić had 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting, with nine rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers). Their swarming, relentless defense that held the Nuggets to 39.3 percent shooting in the finale, and suppressed Jokić's greatness for so much of the series, is the most intimidating part of their program. And it's not even close. When it was over, the coach who came up through the Thunder's G League program and was handpicked by general manager Sam Presti to take on the head-coaching role five years ago was asked what he takes away from this latest experience. 'Just that we were who we are,' said Daigneault, putting a twist on the famous quote from the late NFL coach, Dennis Green. 'That's the biggest thing. That's enough with this team. I mean, if we just bet on who we are individually and collectively, we're a really hard team to beat. I just thought we stayed in character. We got off to a rough start, (but) we didn't panic. We played the 48, and we tapped into who we are. 'It was our best energy game, and activity game. They drummed it up for Game Seven. I just give them a lot of credit. …There's not many games (when) you wake up in the morning and you know that you're going to remember the game for the rest of your life, and Game Seven is one of them.' But Game One of the West Finals on Tuesday is the focus now, both for the Thunder and this Timberwolves team that earned all that extra rest finishing Golden State off in five games. The Knicks and Pacers start on Wednesday. What a time for playoff basketball, and these four teams, to be alive. Advertisement 'We believe in each other,' Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert told The Athletic after Minnesota advanced. 'We believe in our chances. We think this group has a chance to lift that trophy in June. So that's been our goal since the beginning of the season. And you know, we had a lot of adversity, a lot of growing pains throughout the regular season, and I feel like those stretches helped us grow tremendously, defensively and offensively, individually and collectively.' That's the beauty of these playoffs, really. That feeling, the very thing which has all four teams truly believing they could be the one, is in every locker room that's left.
