According to Priority Sports agent Mark Bartelstein, Porter Jr. has agreed to a five-year extension with a maximum value of up $207 million.
Porter will reach the $207 million mark if he is selected to one of three All-NBA teams. Porter will still be eligible for the $172 million rookie maximum after five years.
This deal is the fourth max rookie extension this offseason. It includes Trae Young, Dallas Mavericks' guard, and Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder guard. Robert Williams, a Boston Celtics center, has also agreed to a rookie extension. He signed a four-year contract extension worth $50 million earlier in the offseason.
Porter and the Nuggets spent the offseason working out the deal. It was complicated due to Porter's talent as well as his back history. This situation is similar to the one that the Philadelphia 76ers had with Joel Embiid. He was injured and missed the first two seasons. However, he has gone on to be one of the NBA's most valuable players. The offseason saw Porter agree to a supermax extension to ensure that Embiid will remain in Philadelphia.
Michael Porter Jr. averaged 19 point and shot 54.2 percent from the line. He also shot 44.5 percent from the 3-point range during his last season with the Nuggets. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Denver has now added Porter, a 6-foot-10 forward who shoots 54.2% from the 3-point line and 44.5% from the field.
Porter has signed four of Denver's top players, Jamal Murray (reigning NBA MVP), Porter (reigning NBA MVP), and Aaron Gordon (reigning NBA Finals player) to long-term contracts to stay with Denver.
Porter will be a key part of Murray's recovery from the torn ACL sustained last March during a game at Golden State.
Porter's incredible comeback story is evident in the extension. Before he enrolled at the University of Missouri, Porter was one of the most highly regarded prep prospects in the nation. However, he was forced to miss three of the Tigers' final games due to a back injury. He was also unable to play in his last season with the Tigers. The same problem caused him to fall to the 14th spot in the 2018 NBA Draft. Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly decided that the chance to add Porter to their roster was worth it.
After another back surgery, Porter would miss the 2018-19 season. After undergoing another back surgery, Porter returned to the court and quickly showed the talent that made him such an attractive prospect. This helped Denver reach the Western Conference finals, for the first time since 2009. After moving into the starting line-up on a full-time basis, Porter made a major step forward in his career.
