The Brooklyn Nets made an interesting last offseason when they traded forward Cam Johnson in exchange for forward Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s 2032 first-round pick. Brooklyn was able to put Johnson in a position to have the best season of his career and use that value to get Porter, but it looks like the trade is getting better for the Nets as time passes.
“MPJ is on the books for $40.8 million in 2026-27 before hitting free agency, but the Nets would still probably do this deal again because of the draft capital they snagged,” Grant Hughes wrote for Bleacher Report. In the outlet’s reevaluation of the trade between the Nets and Nuggets, Brooklyn received a B grade while Denver was given a C- as the NBA season progresses through December.
“Porter Jr. has been durable and scored the ball at higher volume than ever with Brooklyn, which also opens up the possibility that the team could trade him to a contender, perhaps taking back more bad, longer-term salary with another asset attached,” Hughes continued. “Even if the Nets just ride out this year and the next while paying Porter to rack up points on a losing team, the deal will have been worth it.”
Porter, similar to Johnson last season, is having the best year of his career during this campaign with the Nets as he’s averaging 25.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 49.6% from the field and 39.2% from three-point land. Johnson, now assuming Porter’s previous role playing alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, is averaging 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 39.4% from deep.
Ultimately, Denver’s grade decreasing from an A to a C- is mostly due to the fact that Porter has played better than anyone expected coming into this season while Johnson’s numbers pale in comparison to Porter in a similar role. If Porter is able to garner enough votes to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team, this conversation could continue to be about Brooklyn taking a chance on a talented player and winning the trade as a result.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets look better in the Michael Porter Jr. trade with each game
Reporting by Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Nets Wire / Nets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
