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Denver Nuggets sign Michael Porter Jr. to $172m max rookie extension

Michael Porter Jr is coming off the back of the second most efficient 19+ points per game season in NBA history; Becomes the fourth player to receive a max rookie extension this offseason and the third max player on the Nuggets alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray

Michael Porter Jr

The Denver Nuggets and forward Michael Porter Jr. have agreed to a five-year, $172m max rookie extension, his agency told ESPN on Monday night.

The deal could be worth up to $207m if he reaches the designated max criteria and makes one of the three All-NBA teams in 2021-22.

Porter, 23, was drafted 14th overall in 2018 but missed the 2018-19 season with a back injury. Despite this, he was solid during his 2019-20 rookie season, putting up 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 55 games (eight starts).

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Here are some of the notable moments from Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr as he scored a career-high 39 points in their 129-116 victory over the Houston Rockets.

It was across 2020-21, however, that the 6-foot-10 forward really started to flash his potential as he averaged 19 points and 7.3 boards across 61 games (54 of which were starts).

Perhaps even more impressive than the sudden boost in numbers is the efficiency with which he has been scoring in his first two seasons. For his career, Porter is shooting 53.2 per cent from the field, 43.9 per cent from three-point range and 80.6 per cent from the free-throw line, excellent numbers for a player his size.

In terms of effective field goal percentage (eFG%), which adjusts for the extra value of a three-point shot over a two, last year Porter had the second most efficient 19+ points per game season in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain - the legendary center who dominated around the basket.

Porter is the fourth player to receive a max rookie extension this offseason, joining Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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Beyond this, he is also now the third Denver Nuggets star locked up on a max contract, following the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and guard Jamal Murray.

This puts the franchise on par with the Golden State Warriors (Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins), Los Angeles Lakers (LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook) and Brooklyn Nets (Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden).

On top of this, the Nuggets have also splashed out $92m on Aaron Gordon, locking up the forward - who works well in tandem with Porter, particularly in terms of covering his defensive weaknesses - for four years.

According to ESPN, Porter is set to earn $29.8m in 2022-23, $32.1 million in 2023-24, $34.5m in 2024-25, $36.9m in 2025-26 and $39.3m in 2026-27.

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