Regular Season Performance
Michael Porter Jr. delivered another strong season as Denver’s third offensive option, averaging 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game on 50.4% shooting from the field and 39.5% from three. He appeared in 74 games, one of the highest totals in his career, a promising sign given his injury history.
Porter remained one of the most efficient high-volume shooters in the NBA. He was lethal on spot-up threes, transition pull-ups, and midrange fades, thriving off the gravity created by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray. His ability to hit contested shots with minimal dribbles made him a constant threat, especially when Denver’s offense bogged down. Porter struggled to create his own offense when forced off the three-point line a bit more this season, but that didn’t prevent him from making an impact as a cutter and offensive rebounder.
Defensively, Porter showed marginal improvement. His awareness and help-side rotations were inconsistent but showed some progress over the previous years, and he rebounded the ball better than in past seasons. Still, he remained susceptible to breakdowns guarding quicker guards wings
Playoff Performance
Everything about Porter’s playoff numbers must be viewed through a lens of the shoulder injury he suffered during Game 2 of the first round series. It was a severe joint sprain injury that should’ve held out the veteran forward, but Porter decided to play through the pain and deserves a lot of credit for that.
But the numbers are the numbers. Porter averaged career lows in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw percentage in the 14 games he played. 9.1 points per game for Denver’s third highest paid player on the roster.
There were some positive moments, including a 17-point Game 4 to help flip the series vs the Clippers, 15 points in Game 7 to help win the series, and a strong 21-point performance in a Game 3 overtime win vs the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those were his three most efficient shooting games, and he had another couple of solid performances; however, there were more single digit (8) than double digit (6) scoring performances for Porter in these playoffs, and there’s simply not enough that Porter offers besides his scoring to make a consistent impact. Porter had nine total assists in 14 playoff games, struggled defensively, and even struggled to corral rebounds at times with only one healthy shoulder.
Are the issues explainable due to the injury? Of course. Would they still be pressing issues even without the injury? That’s where the grey area begins. How can Porter be truly evaluated from these playoffs? Does he get a pass for Denver’s struggles? Should he be blamed in any way? An AC joint sprain hurts a lot, so much so that Porter was taking Lidocaine to numb the pain in his shoulder and get through the playoffs. That’s a difficult situation to give a real evaluation, even if a fully healthy Porter may have had similar levels of impact.
Best Game – Back-to-back 36 and 39-point performances vs the New Orleans Pelicans
Key Quote
“I think a lot of our answers are internal right now, you know, with where we are from a roster standpoint. We have guys locked into contracts,” KSE Vice Chairman Josh Kroenke shared at his end-of-season press conference.
Player Grade: B-
Porter earns a B for the 2024–25 regular season, and it drops to a B- because of the playoff struggles. His shooting remained elite, and he played more games than in any year since entering the league full-time. That alone is a major win for Denver.
However, MPJ’s offensive role didn’t evolve much beyond being a catch-and-shoot weapon and secondary scorer. He averaged fewer than two free throw attempts per game, reflecting his weaknesses driving to the basket. While his usage aligned with his strengths, the Nuggets could have benefited from a more well-rounded offensive attack from their 6’10” sniper.
In several big games — including wins over Oklahoma City and Minnesota — Porter caught fire, showing his potential to swing playoff series. But inconsistency, especially against teams that pressured him off the line, kept him from breaking through into the All-Star conversation.
Contract Situation
Porter just wrapped up the third year of a five-year, $173 million maximum contract signed in 2021. While the deal looked risky at the time due to his back issues, he’s now delivered two mostly healthy seasons and remains one of the league’s premier floor spacers at his size.
His contract is fully guaranteed through the 2026–27 season with no player or team options. For the Nuggets, his salary is a major cap commitment, meaning continued health and two-way growth are essential to the team’s long-term flexibility.
What’s Next for Porter?
The next step for Porter Jr. is refinement and evolution. Can he become more than a shooting specialist? Can he attack closeouts with confidence, make secondary playmaking reads, or defend at a higher level consistently?
It’s fair to wonder if there will ever be another level of Porter’s game for the Nuggets to tap into. The back surgeries sapped so much of his athleticism and flexibility, preventing him from creating his own shot downhill and making plays for himself and others against heavy ball pressure. Porter’s spacing is incredibly valuable in the regular season though, and the Nuggets offense was able to function in large part because one defender was forced to keep track of Porter on the perimeter consistently.
The good news? He’s just 26, he’s stayed on the floor, and there’s even more motivation to get better now. If Porter can tap into that next tier, the Nuggets’ quartet of Jokić, Murray, Gordon, and MPJ will continue to rival any in the NBA.
