The Denver Nuggets and potential trades is a tale as old as the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement, as that has put Denver in a very poor financial situation with all the max contracts on the roster. Whether it’s a trade for Jamal Murray or for Michael Porter Jr., many people have thrown those names around in talks to help Denver get out of the salary cap dungeon and back to the top of the NBA.

Especially after Murray and Porter both had lackluster playoff runs, despite Murray’s illness and Porter’s shoulder injury, the talks of trading either of those players have accelerated as the window for success during Nikola Jokic’s prime continues to shrink.

Paul Pierce, the 2008 NBA Finals MVP with the Boston Celtics, recently chimed in on the trade talk, and suggested an idea that would move Porter farther west.

Paul Pierce says the Nuggets should trade Michael Porter Jr. for DeMar DeRozan

“I feel like if they had a DeMar DeRozan with that team right now, with Joker, he don’t need to be the best player or the second-best player every night. He is going to give you more than what Michael… pic.twitter.com/Zcf9q0qNtR

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 27, 2025

“I feel like if they had a DeMar DeRozan with that team right now, with Joker, he don’t need to be the best player or the second-best player every night,” Pierce said in a recent appearance on ‘KG Certified,’ a podcast hosted by NBA legend Kevin Garnett. “He is going to give you more than what Michael Porter Jr. gave you.”

While the money would benefit Denver here, as the 35-year-old is making $14M less than Porter in the upcoming season and $15M less in the following season, the fit wouldn’t be great. Even though there have been plenty of playoff series in which Porter has underperformed, his fit next to Jokic is what makes him valuable on the Nuggets thanks to his size and shooting ability. DeRozan is another ball-dominant player who loves to shoot mid-range jumpers, just like Jamal Murray.

So yeah, Paul Pierce. If having one guy who plays that style didn’t work in the playoffs, why don’t the Nuggets put another one right next to him!

Another aspect is how the teams would match salaries of trade assets to make the money work under the CBA. A third team would most likely need to be included in order to make this work, as all of the possible trades between Denver and Sacramento that actually work make no sense for Sacramento from a winning standpoint.

Along with that, these other teams saw what Porter has done in the postseason over and over again. If he puts up numerous underwhelming performances next to Jokic, what would he do out on the floor next to Domantas Sabonis? Porter’s contract is just as bad for other teams to potentially take on as it is for the Nuggets to keep. If a team like Utah or Charlotte is willing to take on his salary and buy him out, then the trade would work, but that would require the Nuggets to send out draft picks along with Porter. Too bad Calvin Booth already sent most of their draft picks out the door, as the 2031 pick is currently the only first-rounder they have control over.

It will probably be best for the new general manager to hold onto Porter at least until the trade deadline in 2026, and perhaps even into the next offseason when his contract turns into an expiring one, adding more value. For this offseason, the best option for the Nuggets is to explore what the market is like for Murray while they hope for Porter to regain some trade value.

Remember when he looked awesome right before the trade deadline after three straight 30-point performances against the bottom feeder teams of the NBA? The Nuggets need the 6-foot-10 sharpshooter to recreate that in hopes of boosting his trade value.

Hypothetical trades will be on the table all season long for the Nuggets, but this is one that is not a good fit, and shouldn’t be explored by the new front office.