Why The Denver Nuggets Walked Away From A Potential Paul George Trade

Despite a strong showing and a title shot within reach, the Denver Nuggets’ season ended in a second-round playoff defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, they enter the offseason focused on improving and a return trip to the NBA Finals.

The Nuggets have a solid core and are poised to be top contenders again next season. However, significant offseason changes are typical for every team, and the Nuggets were no exception in their pursuit of reshaping their roster.

Reports indicate that the Nuggets expressed interest in Paul George before he entered free agency (Paul has since signed a 4-year, $212M deal with the 76ers). However, the potential asking price of Michael Porter Jr. and several future draft picks proved too high for Denver, leading the team to abandon their interest.

Per The Athletic:

“League sources say the Denver Nuggets, for example, had serious interest recently in the prospect of adding George by way of a possible extend-and-trade with the Clippers (if he chose to go that route). Yet in addition to giving George the max deal he so desires, they also would have had to give up Michael Porter Jr., Zeke Nnaji and a significant amount of draft capital. The Nuggets value their draft picks perhaps as much as any other contender in the league, and so their interest ended there.”