He could be a dream get for the right rebuilder.ДЄs for the Nuggets-who notably are no longer run by Tim Connelly, the executive who both drafted and later maxed out Porter-they might not require a king's ransom.

He hasn't celebrated his 24th birthday yet.

When healthy, he's a 6'10', three-level scorer. And especially not when Porter's five-year, $172.6 million extension hasn't even kicked in yet.Дenver would be selling low on a Porter swap this summer, but who's to say that his value will get better from here? Besides, a team that can afford to be more patient than the win-now Nuggets might give up more in a Porter trade than you think. Not when Jokic is in the heart of an apparently generational prime. It's possible he'll be damaged goods going forward, or at least someone who requires careful health maintenance.Дo the Nuggets want to take that risk? You could argue they shouldn't. This was his third back surgery since 2017. While Denver could stand pat and hope for better fortune on the medical front next season, Porter's injury history complicates that option.

played only nine uncharacteristically unproductive games (back surgery). That's because injuries robbed their centerpiece of a co-star, as Jamal Murray never suited up (torn ACL) and Michael Porter Jr. Hyoung Chang/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty ImagesДespite having the league's MVP for a second consecutive season in Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets never seriously factored into the championship race.

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