Former Mizzou Basketball Star Porter Jr. Lands New NBA Home Through Trade

The Nuggets originally drafted Porter Jr. No. 14 overall in 2018, making him the highest-selected Missouri Tiger since Keyon Dooling in 2000.

Porter Jr. played six seasons for the Nuggets, holding career averages of 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from 3-point range. The news comes shortly after the Nuggets signed former Missouri guard Tamar Bates, which would've made the first duo of former Tigers to play for the same NBA team this decade.

Porter Jr. developed into one of the NBA's premiere sharpshooters during his stint in Denver, but was ultimately plagued by injuries, similar to his time at Missouri. Porter Jr. could only play in three total games for the Tigers, having to undergo a back surgery early in the season, and rushing a return for the postseason.

Although he played a major role to the Nuggets' 2023 championship run, an AC joint sprain hindered him in the latest 2025 playoff run, noticeably affecting his movement and jumpshot in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Still, Porter Jr. opted to play through the pain — a testament to his hard-working character.

He gets a chance to start a new chapter of his career with the Brooklyn Nets, who are in an entirely different situation than his former squad. The Nets are in full rebuild mode, and will likely make Porter Jr. a focal point of their offense considering their 2025 NBA Draft, in which general manager Sean Marks selected three playmaking point guards.

His championship experience can help him be a valued mentor to the Nets' young locker room as they build up a core.

It's no guarantee he stays in Brooklyn, however, as players are often flipped to a new team immediately following initial trades. If that's the case for Porter Jr., he may find himself back with a team ready to contend for a championship sooner rather than later.