Josh Kroenke says the Nuggets will trade anybody if it improves the team, including Michael Porter Jr.

There have been rumors circling that Josh Kroenke and the Denver Nuggets were not open to trading Michael Porter Jr., but Kroenke confirmed Monday that that organization is open to trading anyone to help the team win

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Apr 14, 2025, 12:27 PM Updated: 1:01 pm

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The trade rumor mill that has surrounded the Denver Nuggets this season has seen many names thrown around, with the most notable being Michael Porter Jr. Talks of how Nikola Jokic has never had a teammate that made an All-Star team, All-NBA team or All-Defense team have circulated year after year, but the only realistic way for Denver to bring in a player of that caliber is to trade one of their guys making a lot of money every year.

Last week, a report came out that said the Nuggets organization would never trade Porter due to his Missouri ties, as both Josh and Stan Kroenke are graduates of the University of Missouri.

Nuggets ownership is unlikely to ever approve a Michael Porter Jr. trade due to his ties to Missouri, per @TheSteinLine

“The Kroenkes have a fondness for Porter that stems from deep ties to their shared alma mater: Missouri. Sources with knowledge of Denver's thinking have… pic.twitter.com/QNhGCMj8jd

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 12, 2025

At his press conference Monday, Josh Kroenke shot down that idea in a hurry. One of his goals in his presser was to confirm the truthful reports that have been circulating over the last week and squash the ones that were false. This was one of them.

Josh Kroenke on MPJ: "I'm incredibly proud of Michael, let's talk about him on a human level and what he's been through… But I think that any kind of report saying that we're not open to trading everybody possible to improve the team is completely false."

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) April 14, 2025

Porter has been a wildcard for Denver so far this season. He has had his fair share of hot and cold streaks throughout the season as he has gone on to average 18.2 points and seven rebounds per game. Porter caught fire in February before the All-Star break, scoring at least 30 points in three consecutive games. He shot 42.2% from distance that month and averaged 22 points per game. Since then, he has cooled down, shooting under 35% from deep and averaging just under 17 points per game in March and April.

“I’m surely not going to be green lining any trades around here when I don’t see complete organizational cohesion and we’re not maximizing the group we’ve got,” Kroenke said.

While the Nuggets stayed pat at the NBA Trade Deadline this season, that didn’t mean it was because they were closed to the idea of moving any of their pieces. It meant that the right deal wasn’t on the table to improve the team and help maximize the talent of Nikola Jokic. Zach Lavine was one named that was mentioned to trade Porter for, but Lavine ended up being traded to the Sacramento Kings instead.

One of the themes from Kroenke’s press conference Monday was how he took responsibility for letting the Nuggets organization fall to the state it’s currently in, and how he’s taking it upon himself to build the Nuggets back to where they were just 22 months ago, hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy a mile high. He showed that if tough moves have to be made, such as trading Porter, he’s open to doing so.

For now, the Nuggets need Porter’s contributions in the playoffs as he will play a critical role when the Los Angeles Clippers come to town for the opening round of the Western Conference Playoffs on Saturday.