It’s time for Michael Porter Jr. to earn his big-money contract

With the departure of Bruce Brown and a mostly unproven Nuggets bench heading into the 2023-24 season, everyone has been asking who will replace Brown’s production? Maybe the answer isn’t someone coming off the bench at all.

After an abysmal shooting performance in the NBA Finals, there is undoubtedly plenty of room to grow for Michael Porter Jr.. MPJ was still able to create an effect in some capacity during the series through his rebounding and hustle plays. And certainly, there’s the old cliche in sports, “hustle is free.”

While that is true, do you know what is not free? Michael Porter Jr.

MPJ is set to make $33 million this upcoming season under his five-year, $179-million extension that runs through 2027, when he will make over $40 million in his final year of the deal.

It’s easy to write off Porter’s lackluster scoring performance in the Finals as an anomaly. What is not easy to overlook is the 62-game sample-size last season. During that stretch, MPJ averaged 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game during the 2022-23 season. While these numbers aren’t particularly bad, they don’t scream “maximum” contract.

Other players who also averaged 17 points per game include D’Angelo Russell, Nikola Vucevic, Gary Trent Jr, Spencer Dinwiddie and Norman Powell. All of whom make around $18 million per season, almost half of what Porter will make.

With the NBA’s newest CBA going into effect this offseason, how teams spend money on their roster has never been more under the microscope. The Nuggets know this better than most teams, as they had to say goodbye to their sixth man from their title run this offseason, after being limited in what they could offer Brown financially.

What if MPJ was under a contract that more closely resembled that of his production? Would the Nuggets have been able to keep Michael Malone’s promise that “Brucey B isn’t going anywhere?”

If Michael Porter Jr. wants to be paid like one of the best players in the league, it’s time for him to play like it.

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