Head coach Michael Malone set the record straight about the loud rumblings surrounding the Denver Nuggets.
Ahead of his team’s Monday basketball showcase against the Phoenix Suns, Malone dismissed the trade rumors swarming Denver from the past few days, noting that he had no idea where the various speculations originated.
“Yeah, a lot of it is noise. I don’t know where it comes from. You see different things that are out there, and you never want that stuff getting out there. I’ve talked to Calvin [Booth], and Calvin has a good pulse on all that stuff. Whenever that stuff is happening, he’s in touch with the guys and their agents to let them know what is real and what is not real,” he said.
“As of right now, as we are [26] games into the season, I think there’s nothing to that. That’s where you worry about guys worrying about the wrong things.”
At the center of the league’s trade talks
Entering the first half of the 2024-25 season, the Nuggets are relatively witnessing a zigzagging progress for a legitimate championship squad that parades reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic. Sitting at the No. 5 spot of the West with a 15-11 card, there’s been plenty of outside noise on whether they need to make an urgent move to establish themselves atop the crowded Conference.
Of all the players within Denver, Michael Porter Jr. has been identified as the hottest name to monitor around the league’s rumor mill. The sixth-year forward, who is averaging 18.0 points in 50.7 percent shooting, has been frequently included in various reports for a potential big-time deal due to his highly tradeable $179MM contract.
As Jamal Murray has been on a slump and the Nuggets are struggling with Jokic sitting down, there were assumptions that Denver would be in the serious hunt for another shot creator and offensive spark, which leads All-Star hotshot Zach LaVine being tagged for them with Porter Jr. serving as the main centerpiece for a possible transaction with the Chicago Bulls.
Control what you can control
Amid the chatter and the distractions, Malone continues to remind everyone in the Nuggets to remain focused and help in whatever way they can to maintain winning.
“Just focus on what you can control,” Malone insisted. “Go out there and play your game and help this team to the best of your ability. All the other stuff takes care of itself. And I think for years, our group, our front office has done a great job of communicating with players if there is something so there’s never a surprise, never guys being caught off guard.
“But that’s something I think our front office has done an outstanding job of.”
It is yet to be seen on how things would unfold for Denver. But should their inconsistencies continue as the season moves along, we can only expect the Nuggets to desperately pull the trigger and go all-in to reclaim the NBA throne in hopes of not letting Jokic’s prime go to waste.
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