According to Zack Lowey, a well-known basketball media personality in the NBA, sources tell him that both Murray and Porter of the Nuggets may return this season.
Murray suffered a severe injury to a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee last season that led to a season reimbursement and surgery last April. At the moment, he is recovering well, and the news that he can make a comeback this season has actually flowed out a long time ago.
As for Porter, he had back surgery last November, not long after the season began, when the U.S. media said he was reimbursed for the season, but now Porter looks like he's recovering well.
If both Murray and Porter can come back, then the Nuggets can definitely get a lot of supplements, and they can definitely become another championship team in the West.
Murray just played the best of his career last season, averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three-point range (averaging 2.7 three-pointers per game), standing out on the offensive end and being the Nuggets' first attacker on the perimeter. Meanwhile, he averaged 4.8 assists per game last season, tying a career high. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured against Curry's Warriors season reimbursement.
Porter averaged 19 points and 7.3 rebounds last season, shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 44.5 percent from three-point range. As a 2.08-meter-tall, all-rounded striker, Porter is considered the "poor man's version of Durant." Sadly, he also underwent surgery this season.
Before the injury, Murray and Porter were the Nuggets' top scorers and the team's third scorer, respectively, and both received top pay contracts. After Murray was reimbursed last season, Porter was the Nuggets' best performer outside of Jokic and an important partner for Jokic.
Now, both men have a chance to make a comeback, and even if both of them can't quickly return to their peak form, they can bring a lot of help to the team. In this regard, the help Thompson brought to the Warriors after the return of Thompson, who was reimbursed for two seasons, is visible to the naked eye. With two outstanding scoring points from Murray and Porter, Jokic will also release a lot of pressure and the Nuggets' overall offense will become more threatening.
Right now, the Nuggets are no. 5 in the West, but if Murray and Porter return, the well-groomed Nuggets will definitely have the strength to compete for the championship, and it will definitely be a fierce rival between the Suns and Warriors in the West.