Following a 2023-2024 season in which the Denver Nuggets lost in the Western Conference Semifinals to the Minnesota Timberwolves, one NBA executive believes that Denver is going to be "stuck" this year.
Aside from reigning MVP Nikola Jokić, the talent on the Denver roster seems to be a question mark, particularly Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., according to one executive.
"Denver's second-best player is going backward. Jamal (Murray) hasn't been the same. There is something about Jamal's health and physical capacity right now that concerns me," an NBA exec said according to Sportskeeda's Mark Medina. "Michael Porter is also terribly overrated. He's a one-way player and just a scorer. I also don't think Denver has the assets to get an upgrade."
The No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Porter Jr. has been inconsistent for the team, missing his entire rookie season due to a back injury and playing in only nine games during the 2021-2022 season.
Starting at small forward last season, Porter Jr. averaged 16.7 points per game -- the lowest in three years when playing in 10 or more games -- along with 7.0 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field. He is currently under a five-year, $179 million contract and is the third highest-paid player on the team.
The additions of 17-year veteran Russell Westbrook and big man Dario Saric have not seemed to impress the league as the team heads toward opening night of the 2024-2025 season against Oklahoma City at home on Oct. 24.