The Rockets have focused on Michael Porter Jr. in trade discussions with the Nuggetsas the centerpiece of a potential James Harden trade, Mike Singer of the Denver Postreports. However, the talks didn’t gain any traction, Singer adds. This updates an earlier report that the Nuggets are unwilling to give up Jamal Murray in a package for Harden. Murray was never included in any discussions and Nikola Jokic is also off-limits. Porter Jr. would give the Rockets a potential star in return for the perennial All-Star guard, who wants to be dealt. Any potential deal with Denver would also have to include Gary Harris and/or Will Barton for salary-matching purposes salaries and that would seriously deplete the Nuggets at the wing spots, Singer notes. Harden would make for an intriguing third star to join forces with Jokic and Murray but he could also wreck the good chemistry the team displayed while making its run to the conference finals last season. Porter averaged 9.3 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 55 games (16.4 MPG) during his de facto rookie season in 2019/20 after he was sidelined the previous campaign due to a back injury. His playing time grew during the playoffs, as he averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG while shooting 38.2% from long range. Houston has reportedly been seeking a return that features an All-Star-caliber young player, along with several other assets (young players or draft picks). I may be crazy here, but trading Harden for a package headlined by a 2nd year player averaging 9 PPG doesn’t quite strike me as enough. I’d rather have Herro and Robinson or Nunn over Porter.. just seems like a lot of risk, if Porter turns out to be a solid role player and nothing more..
MPJ alone is not enough. He is talented and if not for his injury history he could be the main piece I’d think. It would take multiple future unprotected firsts and another piece via a 3rd team.
Its gonna take alot more then that . Harris and Barton would have to be traded off for another young cat
Rockets: Please give us your third best player for our MVP and leading scorer of the league... Nuggets: No ... no traction here breh
Porter Jr.’s upside is significantly higher than anyone Miami offered. If he hadn’t injured his back, he would have been a top-3 pick. That said, I need to see more before I trade a top-3 player in James Harden for a package with him as its centerpiece. Not to mention, having herniated discs at a young age is never a good thing, and it typically isn’t a condition that magically goes away forever.
MPJ can not be a center piece in a Harden deal.. He would have to be a sweetener. MPJ has a chance to be a great player. However, A) it is still potential B) He had a VERY serious back injury in college. I would consider MPJ as an equivalent of 1 unprotected pick. Considering the Rocket's have requested a up and coming star, decent haul of role players, and multiple picks..... It doesn't add up.
You're not crazy at all, this deal is stupid. MPJ has a bad back and should not be part of any deal. Herro is much better option when you consider health.
Totally agree. MPJ from last year easily would have been the #1 pick in this year's draft, though Herro probably would have been the #1 pick too. MPJ has the potential to lead the league in scoring and be an All-NBA caliber player where Herro doesn't have anywhere close to that type of upside. But there's a ton of risk with MPJ. Denver also especially sucks to get future picks from because with Jokic and Murray the odds are pretty high that they will be a solid team for awhile. Betting on the downside of Jimmy Butler, Embiid, or Durant and Kyrie in 3-5 years would be a much better lottery ticket to have solely in terms of future draft compensation.
I completely agree on all points. If I’m trading Harden to Denver, Porter Jr. has to be the second-best asset in the deal. That means either Murray is included as well, or you involve another team that is willing to give up a good young player in a proposed multi-team trade. Also, I don’t have that much enthusiasm for first-round picks that are three or more years away. They can be part of the trade, but I’m not going to value them above good young players that are already showing what they can do at this level. Considering how long it takes good rookies to develop into all-star or all-NBA players, you are looking at four or five years in the wilderness before your vision is fully realized.
Definitely wasn't saying that. I meant he'd go #1 over Anthony Edwards/Wiseman/Lamelo without a second thought. For sure Zion and Ja easily go 1-2.
