Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. will sit out Friday's New Year's Day game against the Phoenix Suns and could miss a "number of days" because of the NBA's health and safety protocols.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the absence is related to COVID-19 contact tracing.

Porter started the week-long protocol Thursday, and the Nuggets' expectation is that he'll miss multiple games before getting cleared, per Mike Singer of the Denver Post. No further details about what prompted the tracing were immediately released.

The 22-year-old University of Missouri product was one of the breakout stars of the NBA's bubble in Orlando last season, highlighted by a 37-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It earned him a larger role during the team's playoff run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EtXWZ6dn8I

He's parlayed that into a starting spot to open the 2020-21 season. He's averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 56.6 percent from the field in four games. Some of his defensive deficiencies have become more apparent while playing nearing 30 minutes per contest, though.

"I went from DNPs to starting on a Western Conference finals team in the playoffs," Porter told reporters before the regular season started. "I learned a lot in one year and looking to carry that over to this year. I want to make a really big jump."

The 2018 first-round pick will likely be replaced by Will Barton in the starting lineup with the team shifting toward more small-ball lineups around center Nikola Jokic.

Isaiah Hartenstein, Bol Bol and JaMychal Green are among the frontcourt reserves who could also see an uptick in playing time over the next week.

Based on the protocol timing, Porter could be cleared to return either Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks or Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers if he continues to test negative.

After Friday's meeting with the Suns, the Nuggets have back-to-back matchups with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and Tuesday before facing off with the Mavs.

Porter should slide right back into a key role once cleared.

Amid a 1-3 start to the NBA season, Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone didn't mince words about where his team is at. 

"We're not a very good team at the moment," he told reporters after Tuesday's loss to the Sacramento Kings. 

Turnovers and defense were significant problems for the Nuggets in the game. Their 19 turnovers led to 37 points for the Kings, who shot 48.9 percent overall and made 16 of 33 three-point attempts.

Expectations are high for the Nuggets in 2020-21 after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season. They did lose Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee and Torrey Craig in free agency, but the hope was young players like Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol could step up to replace that lost production. 

Porter's contributions have sparked the Nuggets to rank sixth in points per game (117.3) and offensive rating (114.5), but it's on the defensive end where the drop has been noticeable.

After finishing 11th in scoring defense and 16th in defensive rating last season, Denver has fallen to 25th and 29th in those categories through four games this season. They have allowed at least 111 points in every game thus far, including 121 or more three times. 

It's still early enough for the Nuggets to turn things around, but they need to find answers quickly to avoid falling into a deep hole in the deep Western Conference.   

Denver Nuggets star Jamal Murray will reportedly miss Tuesday's game against the Sacramento Kings with a right elbow contusion.

Katy Winge of Altitude TV reported the news.

Before the 2019-20 season got underway, the Nuggets rewarded the guard with a five-year, $169.7 million extension to remove any doubt about his long-term future with the franchise.

Murray averaged 18.5 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 34.6 percent from long range in the regular season. His production was solid but not necessarily that of a max-level player.

The 23-year-old then became a different player in the playoffs. He scored 50 points twice in the first-round series against the Utah Jazz and dropped 40 points as Denver completed its second successive 3-1 comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers.

That run to the Western Conference Finals raised expectations for 2020-21.

The Nuggets didn't change their roster much in the offseason, perhaps counting on Murray's postseason to carry over and for Michael Porter Jr. to take step forward in his second year. Murray's absence will put more pressure on Nikola Jokic, and Porter will need to shoulder a bigger scoring load as well.

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray is officially a member of the New Balance family. 

Murray reacted to the news Friday:

Yurrrrrrr🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/LoslFTI5BA

— Jamal Murray (@BeMore27) December 25, 2020

"I just wanted to do something different," Murray said of his new deal with New Balance, per Max Resetar of Slam. "I've always been a pioneer in that kind of sense. Staying in Canada, sliding in the draft to Denver, coming off the bench and then starting, being into kung fu and all that kind of stuff and now in signing with New Balance. I feel like we're both similar in that way. We both have creative ideas. We want to see them come to life."

New Balance and the NBA announced a multiyear partnership in February, and Murray joins Kawhi Leonard as a notable player on a Western Conference contender to be sponsored by the company.

Murray is one of the league's brightest young stars at 23 years old, especially after his performance in the Walt Disney World Resort bubble during the 2019-20 postseason.

He went toe-to-toe with Donovan Mitchell in a memorable first-round showdown against the Utah Jazz, dropping 50 points on two occasions. He then helped lead the Nuggets past Leonard's L.A. Clippers as part of a 3-1 comeback in the second round and averaged 25.0 points and 7.4 assists a night in the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the Nuggets fell short of a trip to the Finals, it was clear they had a foundation in place with Murray and Nikola Jokic.

It now appears that Murray will be playing in New Balance as he attempts to parlay his early success into his first NBA championship.

The Denver Nuggets are set to open the season with Gary Harris as their starting shooting guard but reportedly worked with multiple teams this offseason in an attempt to move the 26-year-old.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, via his podcast, the Nuggets engaged "several" teams on a potential trade for the Michigan State product during the offseason.

It's unclear which teams were approached or what Denver was seeking in return. 

Harris averaged 10.4 points per game last season while shooting 42 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc. It was the lowest scoring output from Harris since his rookie season in 2014-15. Making matters more difficult in Denver, an injury to Harris' right hip kept him out of the NBA Bubble until the first round of the postseason. He went on to average 7.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists during the playoffs as the Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals. 

It was a similar ailment that caused Harris to miss 11 games during the 2018-19 season. Overall, Harris has played more than 60 games in a season just twice in his career, the last time coming in 2017-18. 

Denver's backcourt depth could still use an upgrade to aid Jamal Murray's rise but it appears it'll stick with Harris for now. 

Whether or not the Nuggets are able to move him and the nearly $20 million per year left on his contract through 2022 remains to be seen. 

JaMychal Green continues to praise his new team after signing with the Denver Nuggets this offseason.

The forward saw firsthand what the Nuggets could do after they overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals, and he celebrated the team's toughness Thursday.

"Some teams may look at them not being dogs, not being tough. Once they get on the floor, they'll change your mind about that. They'll shut your mouth," Green said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "That's what they pretty much did in the bubble when I was with the Clippers."

Earlier this month, Green praised the Nuggets' heart based on the comeback win:

JaMychal Green's full comments:

“Just the way they moved the ball and played together as a team... You can go out there comfortable. Also, blowing the 3-1 lead, they just fought. It just showed you the type of heart they had. It wasn’t a tough decision.”#Nuggets #Clippers pic.twitter.com/LA9p2t8ll9

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) December 1, 2020

The 30-year-old spent parts of two seasons with the Clippers before signing a two-year, $15 million deal with Denver in November.

He provided valuable depth for Los Angeles, averaging 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season almost exclusively off the bench. The 6'8" Green also shot 38.7 percent from three-point range to give the frontcourt extra versatility. 

He could have a similar role with Denver, playing quality minutes behind Nikola Jokic, Paul Millsap and Michael Porter Jr.

After reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, the Nuggets could be a top contender for an NBA title in 2021.

Guard Monte Morris has signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension with the Denver Nuggets, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday.   

Morris was drafted No. 51 overall out of Iowa State by the Nuggets in 2017 and averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 73 regular-season games with Denver in 2029-20. He then played 21.4 minutes per game over 19 postseason appearances en route to a Western Conference Finals loss to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers. 

In front of Morris, the Nuggets are set with Jamal Murray, who started 59 games at point guard and averaged 32.3 minutes in 2019-20 while posting a career-high 18.5 points to go with 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.

Morris played just three games at the NBA level during his first season in the league, instead spending most of the 2017-18 campaign with the G League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, for which he averaged 17.8 points through 37 outings.

A Michigan native, Morris starred through four seasons at Iowa State, where he broke records for career assists (768) and steals (225) as a senior in 2016-17, numbers that ranked third and sixth in Big 12 history, respectively. He is the school's all-time leader in games played (140) and ranks fifth in starts (121), and his 100 wins make him the program's winningest player.

As he continues to develop, he may have a challenger for minutes off the bench in the team's new addition, point guard Facundo Campazzo, who signed a multiyear deal out of Real Madrid. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone expects Campazzo "to be a top-five pick-and-roll player in the world" and said the 29-year-old is "a seamless fit" into the culture in Denver.

The Denver Nuggets experienced a major turnaround in 2018-19 when they made the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13, and they returned all five members of their starting core among 11 players who came back to do it again last season.

Led again by Nikola Jokic, who has been the center of the Nuggets' production for five seasons, they locked up the third seed in the Western Conference before falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. 

After drafting center Zeke Nnaji at No. 22 then trading for guard RJ Hampton at No. 24, the Nuggets lost Jerami Grant, Torrey Craig and Mason Plumlee in free agency. At the same time, they added veteran Jamychal Green. 

While that chemistry might be gone from the 2020-21 Nuggets, there are bright spots that will carry over from their first trip to the conference finals since 2008-09.

Here's a look at what Denver will have to face in its quest to build on its newfound success. 

         

2020-21 Nuggets Schedule Details

Season Opener: Dec. 23 vs. Sacramento Kings (9 p.m. ET)

Championship Odds: +1600 (via FanDuel)

First-Half Schedule: NBA.com

             

Top Matchups

Los Angeles Lakers (First Game: Feb. 4)

The Nuggets' playoff run, which included 4-3 wins over the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers, came to a close against the eventual champions. Though the conference final ended up being a five-game contest, Denver fought hard, with its biggest deficit being 12 points in Game 1. 

In addition to being a testament to success, the Lakers are also a model for the Nuggets in terms of how a more-experienced Michael Porter Jr. can be used in the lineup.

With newcomer Anthony Davis slotted alongside LeBron James, the King forfeited his title as the Lakers' top scorer and moved to become their top playmaker, leading in assists. The Nuggets shouldn't look to that as a carbon copy as Porter moves in for more alongside Jokic, but it is a pairing they can look toward for inspiration. 

When the two teams meet again on Feb. 4 at the Staples Center, it will be a solid benchmark for the Nuggets to understand where they are at for the 2020-21 season, and how far they still need to go if they want to be in a position to contend for the Western Conference title—or more. 

           

Los Angeles Clippers (First game: Dec. 25)

The Clippers split the regular-season series against the Nuggets with a decisive 132-103 victory in February—in which seven L.A. players churned out double-digit points—after Denver edged out a 114-104 win in January.

When they met again in the postseason, the Nuggets overcame a 3-1 series deficit to take the Clippers out in seven games. It was a product of Jokic, Porter and Jamal Murray jelling together just in time; and while that combination continues to develop, the Clippers are undergoing changes of their own. 

Tyronn Lue is taking over the reins from Doc Rivers, and the Nuggets may have the edge in this battle if they carry their postseason momentum into the new campaign. 

          

Season Forecast

The Nuggets will be looking to their Big Three of Jokic, Murray and Porter to help propel the team to greater heights next season.

Jokic's postseason form was no surprise, as he averaged 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists through 19 playoff games, following a second consecutive All-Star nod. But the postseason also highlighted the depth he has around him.

Murray set career bests in points (18.5) and assists (4.8) per game during the regular season, and he brought a new energy to the court when his team needed it most.

In the postseason, the 23-year-old scored 50 points in both Game 4 and Game 6 against the Utah Jazz, and he added 42 points in between. As a result, he became the first player since Michael Jordan in 1993 to post three consecutive 40-point games in one series.

However, Murray also provided 12 assists in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, a new playoff-best for him. 

Porter, meanwhile, found his stride in his first NBA season after missing 2018-19 with a back injury. With more time to develop, the 22-year-old could be a legitimate piece of the Nuggets' core. After averaging 9.3 points in the regular season, he posted 11.4 through 19 playoff games. 

The Nuggets may have a slow start as Porter continues to find his footing at the top level, but the team should carry its postseason momentum into another playoff campaign in 2021.

   

Record Prediction: 42-30

The Denver Nuggets erased a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference semifinals last season, knocking the Los Angeles Clippers out of the playoffs in a stunning result. 

The framing of that series in its aftermath, however, has been more about how the Clippers choked and had chemistry issues in the locker room. Perhaps that is in part because the Clippers came into the season as title favorites, or that head coach Doc Rivers was fired this offseason and the Clippers made some roster changes.

But Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets have noticed they aren't a prominent part of the discussion, as he told reporters Thursday:

"Even now, they are talking about how Clippers lost, they don't think about how Nuggets won. We don't care that nobody gives us some kind of whatever, respect. We're going to be there. We were in tough situations last year. We fight. Just [because] someone doesn't give us respect doesn't mean that we take their opinions. We know what we are capable of."

That followed Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. saying that last year's Clippers team was better than those Nuggets, despite the series loss, among other comments he made.

"I think it hurt people being up 3-1," he said. "It's not about the losing, it's about how we lost. And I think that's the biggest motivation for this team, because at the end of the day, that team wasn't better than us. We all knew that. To be up and to lose, I think that put an extra sting in our mentality."

Marcus Morris congratulated Montrezl Harrell + JaMychal Green on their deals with Lakers and Nuggets and said they were a "major factor." He added: "Next man up. Those guys chose where they wanted to go. We just gotta beat they ass too. We all forward. Excited to go against them"

— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) December 3, 2020

And then there was JaMychal Green appearing to take a swipe at his former Clippers teammates while talking about why he joined the Nuggets.

"Blowing the 3-1 lead, you know they had heart," he told reporters about his new teammates. "It wasn't a tough decision."

OK, so we're all really, really looking forward to the first time the Nuggets and Clippers play this season after all these remarks, right? It's definitely going to be spicy. 

Fans may enjoy the back and forth, however tame, but Denver has one goal in mind—win a title. 

"It is not like we won the championship last year," Jamal Murray told reporters. "We are going to keep grinding and keep going through kinks."

And pushing through the disrespect, however manufactured.

The Denver Nuggets and forward Paul Millsap agreed to a one-year deal Saturday.

Millsap's agent, DeAngelo Simmons, told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that Millsap will earn more than $10 million on his new contract.

Denver was able to keep Millsap despite Jared Weiss of The Athletic reporting the Boston Celtics also had interest in the veteran forward after losing Gordon Hayward. 

Millsap, 35, spent the last three seasons in Denver after inking a $90 million contract in 2017. His playing time dropped in each of his three years with the Nuggets, but he remained a solid rotation piece—albeit not one quite worthy of his $30 million price tag.

Millsap averaged 11.6 points and 5.7 rebounds while being limited to 51 games because of a knee injury. Those numbers marked Millsap's worst performance in more than a decade, a trend that continued as he struggled mightily after the NBA's resumption in Orlando.

"I feel great, my body feels unbelievable at this stage of my career. Sometimes I have to remind myself I'm 35, I don't feel it," Millsap told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. 

Millsap was always bound to take a significant pay cut on his next contract given his age and declining production, but it's likely financial uncertainty because of lost revenue from the pandemic affected him—along with nearly every free agent on the market.

The NBA and NBPA were able to agree to a flat cap from the 2019-20 season, but that still gave teams less maneuverability than expected based on original revenue projections. 

It's also possible this will serve as the last contract of Millsap's career. He is one of only a handful of players remaining from the 2006 NBA draft class and entered that draft older than most of his contemporaries after spending three years at Louisiana Tech.