A talented player who averaged 19+7 per game at his peak. In less than 2 years, he received a 170 million contract and a championship. He was kicked out at the age of 27.

"I want to give everything I have to basketball, but once that time comes, I have to examine my mentality to see if it has changed and re-evaluate my abilities. Maybe at that time, I will choose to retire." During this year's China Games, Michael Porter Jr., who was traded to the Nets during the offseason, said these meaningful words in an interview. Being kicked out by the Nuggets and exposed to some explosive scandals made Porter very haggard.

You know, he is only 27 years old now. Two years ago, he still held a five-year top-level contract of US$173 million, and won the championship with the Nuggets. In such short two years, what happened to him to cause such an embarrassing situation now, let us find out below!

suffered serious injuries, but still helped the team win the championship.

Porter Jr. was definitely a top talent in high school. Under the coaching of Brandon Roy, he became the strongest high school student in the United States. He also performed amazingly in the McDonald's All-Star Game and the Nike Basketball Summit, and was once regarded as the future NBA No. 1 pick.

However, after joining the University of Missouri, he suffered a devastating back injury, which forced him to undergo disc surgery. This injury has been with Porter throughout his career. But even so, he was selected by the Nuggets with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, which shows how attractive his talent is. Porter Jr. did not disappoint the fans. In the 20-21 season, he averaged 19 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. The offensive end showed the shadow of Kevin Durant.

So in order to keep Porter Jr., the Nuggets directly offered a five-year contract of US$173 million, which can reach a maximum of US$207 million. Even in the 21-22 season, due to the relapse of his back injury, he only played 9 games and was reimbursed for the season, but the Nuggets were still willing to wait.

Porter Jr. did not disappoint the team in the 22-23 season. He directly handed over 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds. His shooting and three-point shooting percentages reached an astonishing 48.7% and 41.4% respectively, which vaguely allowed fans to see the genius that year. It was Porter's recovery in form, coupled with Jamal Murray's timely comeback, that brought the Nuggets back to their throne. Not only did they rank first in the Western Conference that year, but they also had an absolute record of 15 wins and 3 losses in the playoffs, successfully winning the first championship in team history. Porter also reached the peak of his career.

's status took a turn for the worse and fell into trading rumors.

However, there are unforeseen circumstances. In the 23-24 season, although Porter Jr. is still the team's main player, averaging 16.7 points, 7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, it seems that the upper limit has been reached. Fans expect him to be comparable to Durant, but he can't even reach the height of Brandon Ingram. If it weren't for Nikola Jokic's strong containment, he probably wouldn't have performed as well as he did now.

In the playoffs that year, although Porter Jr. could contribute 15.8 points and 6.8 rebounds, he still disappointed the team very much. Because in the second round against the Timberwolves, except for the first and third games, where he scored 20 and 21 points respectively, he scored a total of only 34 points in the remaining five games. His performance was very sluggish and he was unable to share the scoring pressure of Jokic and Murray. If it weren't for his phenomenal performance in the first-round series with the Lakers, he might have left during the offseason.

In this season, because the Nuggets did not make any decent signings in the 2024 offseason, and because the salary space is locked up, the team is struggling. If he cannot perform convincingly enough, Porter Jr. is likely to be traded. In fact, he has been involved in trading scandals since the beginning of the season. It was revealed that the team hopes to use him as a bargaining chip to trade Nets shooter Cameron Johnson.

Fortunately, Porter still handed over 18.2 points, 7 rebounds and 2.1 assists and survived the trade deadline. However, he only contributed 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in the playoffs, and his efficiency could not be compared with the championship season. After the season, Porter still failed to stay, and was eventually sent to the Nets by the team.

Off-court private affairs continue, and he may lose his direction in the future.

Entering the offseason, after being traded by the Nets, Porter Jr.'s luck seemed to be declining. Some gossip reporters photographed his chaotic private life off the court and posted it on social media. This directly plunged Porter into a whirlpool of public opinion.

And not only that, after he was sent to the Nets, his overall positioning was also very embarrassing. You must know that the Nets selected 5 rookies in this year's draft. Cameron Thomas, Nicholas Claxton and others in the team all need the ball to support them. Therefore, although Porter Jr. delivered 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the preseason, it currently seems that he is not in the team's future plans. You know, he is only 27 years old now, but his future is in confusion, which is very sad.