Nuggets’ Malone: ​​”We don’t act Michael Porter”

Michael Porter Jr. Enjoyed his best game of the season on Monday and poured 36 points in 40 minutes on the way to a 12-point victory over New Orleans. After the victory, Nuggets Head coach Michael Malone Was asked if he is touched by the base with Porter more often before the deadline of February 6, given that the veteran Spider has been the subject of trade rumors this season.

According to Malone, there has been no need for it as Porter does not go anywhere (history via Vinny Benedto from Denver Gazette).

“No, because we don’t deal with Michael Porter,” Malone said (Twitter Video Link via DNVR Sports). “So I don’t touch the base with anyone on it. I touch the base with guys on better defense, better distance, take care of the ball. If there is anything coming, of course (General Manager) Calvin (booth) Will talk to me and I’m sure we communicate with whatever players.

“But Michael is a really important piece. Michael helped us win a championship. We will see what happens that goes into the coming Thursday, but to my knowledge there have been no conversations. I do not feel the need to talk to someone when there is nothing there. “

Porter talking to the media after Malone said that his coach’s message is the same as he has heard from the organization before the deadline and told journalists, “From what I have heard they are not interested in moving me” (Twitter Video Link).

He pointed to the unpredictability of the NBA, he recognized that it could change, but said he was not stressing about the opportunity.

“As long as I’m here, I’ll be here and I’ll be happy,” Said Porter. “I have to play hard and try to be available and try to help win games. If the day came where they would trade me and they would go a different direction, I will be excited about the new opportunity, but it is not something I am thinking about. “

After fighting for editions earlier in his NBA career, Porter has been an Iron Man for Denver in the last two seasons that was only missing a game since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign. He has one of his best seasons a professional in ’24/25, where he sets 18.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and a career high 2.2 assists of 33.3 minutes per day. Night with a strong shooting line of .513/.408/.744.

Porter has been mentioned as a possible Commercial candidate because he is the most consuming player of the four nuggets earning more than $ 8.9 mm this season (Nikola JokicAt Jamal Murrayand Aaron Gordon are the others). His $ 36 mm Cap hit would probably be required for payroll purposes for any significant deal that Denver would do.

If Porter does not go anywhere, the nuggets are likely to explore less offers, possibly involving Zeke Nnaji ($ 8.9 mm) and/or Dario Saric ($ 5.2 mm), although both players are believed to have negative trade value due to their limited roles and perennial contracts.