Nuggets Lock Up Michael Porter Jr. To Max Extension

ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. has agreed to a five-year max extension worth up to $207 million. Wojnarowski says the deal is worth $172 million unless he makes one of the three All-NBA teams this season.

Porter Jr., 23, was a standout high school prospect and played one season at Missouri, albeit just three games with many injury concerns. Porter Jr. slipped in the 2018 Draft as a result and was selected by Denver with the 14th overall pick.

After sitting out his rookie season with a back injury, Porter Jr. played sparsely in 2019-2020 before thriving as a full-time starter in 2020-2021. Porter Jr. put up averages of 19PPG and 7.1RPG while becoming one of the best three-point shooters in the association, shooting 44 percent from behind the arc.

The $34 million a year price tag on Porter Jr. might seem steep for someone who's only started 62 career games, but the Nuggets are no doubt paying for what Porter Jr. could become. That is a top-20 player and All-Star, which could certainly happen in 2021-2022.

The Nuggets all of a sudden have their core locked up for at least the next two seasons. Reigning MVP center Nikola Jokic is contracted through next season while guard Jamal Murray is signed through 2024-2025.

With Porter Jr. expected to take another leap this season, the Nuggets enter the upcoming campaign as one of the favorites in the Western Conference.