The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Michael Porter Jr. to a multi-year contract extension, President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly announced today.
Per the Denver Post, Porter Jr.’s deal is a “five-year, max contract extension worth as much as $207 million.”
Porter Jr., 23, had the best season of his young career in 2020-21, helping lead Denver to 47 wins in a 72-game shortened season and the three seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. In 61 games (54 starts), he averaged career-highs in points (19.0), rebounds (7.3), assists (1.1), field goal percentage (54.2%), three-point field goal percentage (44.5%) and minutes per game (31.3). He posted a career-high 39 points (8-12 3FG’s), along with six rebounds, three blocks and two assists vs. Houston on Apr. 24th.He became the first player since Joel Embiid in 2017 to post those numbers in the second year of their career and the third Nugget in franchise history to make seven or more three pointers in consecutive games.
More from the Denver Post: “Tim Connelly isn’t tossing chips to center of the poker table anymore. He’s pushing gold bricks. Connelly, the Nuggets’ president of basketball operations, has committed to roughly $115 million over the winter of 2022-’23 to Denver’s Core Four of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. That little flyover team on Chopper Circle, the one which has the reigning NBA MVP, is slated in 2023 to become just the fourth league franchise to boast three players on max contracts. The other three: the Lakers, Nets and Warriors. High rollers, all.”
Porter Jr. had one of the best shooting seasons in Nuggets history, finishing with 170 three-point field goals in 61 games played, ranking him fourth all-time for a single season in NBA franchise history. He also finished with the highest three-point percentage for a season (min. 150 attempts) in franchise history connecting on 44.5% from long distance. Additionally, he had 11 games posting at least five three pointers, tying the single season record for most games with at least five (Randy Foye, 2013-14).
Porter Jr. ascended in his role following the loss of Jamal Murray for the season on Apr. 12th. In the 17 games that followed, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 56.0% from the field and 48.9% from three. In that span, he had 12 games scoring 20+ points and eight games with four or more three pointers.
The Columbia, Missouri, native appeared in his second postseason in 2021 helping the Nuggets reach the second round of the playoffs for the third straight season. Porter Jr. started all 10 playoff games, averaging 21.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 54.2% from the field and 44.5% from three in 33.2 minutes. He posted four games of 20+ points, including 26 points in both games five and six of the first round to help eliminate Portland.
Porter Jr. was drafted by the Nuggets with the 14thoverall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of the University of Missouri and missed his rookie campaign as he rehabbed from a lower back injury. Over two seasons with Denver, he has appeared in 116 games (62 starts), averaging 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting 53.2% from the field and 43.9% from long range in 24.3 minutes per game. He has increased his scoring, rebounding, assists, field goal percentage and three-point percentage in each season of his career. Additionally, the Nuggets are 27-9 (.750) in Porter Jr.’s career when he scores 20+ points in game.