The Nuggets highly valued Michael Porter Jr. before he played much in the NBA. They highly valued Porter before he became a regular starter.
Now that Porter is coming off a breakout season, the Nuggets are really showing how much they value Porter.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., has agreed on a five-year designated max extension that could be worth up to $207 million, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2021
This extension projects to be worth $173 million over five years.
If Porter makes an All-NBA team next season, that’d trigger the super-max and allow him to earn a projected $207 million. But the odds or Porter claiming one of six All-NBA forward slots are low.
Either way, the exact value of the extension won’t be determined until next summer.
Porter is a phenomenally talented scorer. He has a clean stroke on his jumpers and, at 6-foot-10, can get off shots from all parts of the floor. He must continue to improve as a defender and passer, but he’s just 23.
The bigger question is health. Porter slipped to No. 14 in the 2018 draft then missed his first professional season due to back injuries. There are also concerns about his handling of coronavirus.
We’ll see whether Porter’s deal is fully guaranteed. In 2017, the 76ers set a precedent by signing Joel Embiid to a rookie-scale extension that wasn’t fully guaranteed for some injuries.
