"They took a chance on me on that day" - Michael Porter Jr. shows heartfelt gratitude to the Nuggets after the trade
Michael Porter Jr.'s time in Denver has officially ended. Still, the 6'10" forward remains thankful to the organization that drafted him seven years ago. In a video he uploaded on his "Curious Mike" YouTube channel, Porter Jr. reflected on his experience at the Mile High City, calling it a formative chapter in his growth as a player and a person.
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"I want to start off expressing my gratitude to the Nuggets organization," begins MPJ. "I remember the draft night. I remember the week leading up to the draft. I was in a ton of pain, dealing with some back stuff that I had dealt with in college and then all the way leading up to the draft."
Porter Jr. was supposed to be a sure early lottery selection, possibly even the top pick in his class. However, because of his injuries, he kept dropping until it was the Denver Nuggets' turn at number 14. MPJ admitted he had no idea where he'd end up, mainly because he never did an extensive interview with then General Manager Tim Connelly.
"They took a chance on me on that day… and my life has forever changed… You guys were tremendous in getting me to a place where I was able to play the game I love," continued Porter Jr.
High risk, high reward
As Porter Jr. mentioned, he expected to be the top pick in his class until a serious back injury threatened to derail his career. He had a microdiscectomy of his L3-L4 spinal disks in November 2017 and then a second spinal surgery in July 2018, as per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.
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Moreover, since he only played three games for Missouri, teams could not get a clear sample size of MPJ playing against better competition. Between that and the spinal injuries, it was a recipe for disaster. A Los Angeles Clippers doctor even wrote him off entirely, reporting to the front office that Michael may be unable to play again.
"I've learned to read his body language really well over the years, and it got down past seven, eight, ninth pick, and his name still wasn't called, he knew there were cameras in there and people were watching him, but I could tell he was really starting to get anxious on the inside, and so I just kept leaning over, trying to give him some positive energy," Michael Porter Sr. said of his son during draft night.
This set the stage for Porter Jr. to fall into the Nuggets' laps. Like everybody else in and out of the green room, Connelly was also watching, but with the intent of bringing the kid to Colorado.
"We were prepared to make a quick decision because of the prep….around 9 or 10, we were pretty confident he was gonna be there," Connelly said.
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Related: "Sad for our franchise, a little bit" - David Robinson admits seeing Kawhi win Toronto a championship hurt him on the inside
Big championship piece
It took a long time for Porter Jr. to be at the level he wanted to be, but he eventually got there. He built off a fantastic showing at the 2020 Orlando bubble, recording a double-double in four out of the first eight games. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Nuggets' front office knew they had struck gold.
Porter Jr. played a key role in the Nuggets' 2023 championship run, starting all 20 playoff games and providing size, shooting and rebounding on the wing. While his shot was inconsistent in the Finals, his defense and effort never wavered, an encouraging sign of his growth and willingness to adjust for the sake of winning.
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Now that he's headed to a new team, MPJ leaves Denver with a title, a deeper understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level and a message of appreciation. He may be moving on, but he'll always be a product of the team that bet on his future when others wouldn't.
Related: Michael Porter Jr. gets honest about his future with the Nets and why his time in Denver had run its course: "My ceiling in Denver kind of plateaued"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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