Nuggets may win two key Lakers players in a tripartite deal between Nets and Porter Jr.

According to Eddie Bitar, a special contributor to US sports media F/W. By the end of the 2025 playoffs, the Nuggets look like a smoky team. After winning everything in 2023 and staying close to the top, they plummeted in the second round, largely due to poor performance from Porter Jr., who was invisible again under playoff pressure. With the Western Conference being more brutal than ever, the Nuggets may be ready to reshuffle their core in order to better support Jokic before his peak starts shrinking or he quits.

This reminds us of this eye-catching three-party deal. The Lakers are desperate for a long-term center. The Nets need to return to the playoffs to introduce key players. The Nuggets also need to strengthen their wings to extend their championship window and reorganize instantly. A trading plan was simulated for the three parties:

Nuggets get: Hachimura, Kneckett, 2025 No. 8 draft pick

Lakers get: Clarkston

Nets get: Porter Jr., 2025 No. 55 draft pick

Denver Nuggets trade Porter will strengthen the lineup around Jokic

Port Jr. Although his shooting movements are smooth and his athleticism is impressive (18.2 PPG during the regular season and 7.0 RPG), he often fails to meet the requirements when it is most important. In the second round of this year, he shot 32.2% from the field and 25.0% from three-pointers and disappeared for a long time, leaving Jokic alone to take on the offensive burden. The Nuggets are working to maintain their elite status, and Porter's instability has proven to be a serious obstacle to achieving this mission.

Hachimura Hachimura (13.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Kneckett (9.1 PPG, 37.6% 3-PT FG), plus the top 10 draft picks. Hachimura is not a star, but he is the kind of playoff-tested wing that can thrive around Jokic. He doesn't need the ball, he's efficient in his position, and he shows a reliable mid-range game. Knecht is a real advantage shooter, and that No. 8 overall draft pick Nuggets get cheaper, deeper, and more flexible without sacrificing their main players.

Los Angeles Lakers finally get a new starting center

For the Lakers, with Luca now joining with LeBron, the team has tried expedient centers this season, but they have never found a suitable candidate for the long term. Clarkston changed that immediately. The 26-year-old is one of the league's most mobile big men, averaging 1.4 blocks and 7.4 rebounds this season while cementing Brooklyn's defense. He is still on the rise, his skill set, basket running, shooting blocks and conversion abilities are perfectly matched with LeBron and Luca in the short term. Clarkston is young enough to fill the center role that the Lakers have lacked for years.

The deal sets the stage for Redick to have a consistent defensive identity. Clarkston won't be asked to do too much offensively, and also frees up the Lakers' capped cap salary space. The Brooklyn Nets continue to build their core

Potter Jr. may be the kind of volatility Brooklyn needs to take. In a low-pressure environment like Brooklyn, expectation is reset and development is preferred, Porter Jr. may rediscover the rhythm that brought him close to the All-Star two seasons ago. He will immediately become the team's most dynamic outside scorer and give the Nets an offensive weapon, and Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas can be part of the core of leading the team forward.

They have committed to rebuilding, especially after sending Bridges away in the middle of the season. Introducing Porter Jr will give them a scorer and a character that still fits their young core. This is a gamble, a low-cost gamble.