Nets Intend to Keep Michael Porter Jr. as Excitement Grows Around His Fit in Brooklyn

After swapping Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick, the Brooklyn Nets have no intentions of rerouting their new wing, per senior ESPN writer Ramona Shelburne.

Shelburne took to X shortly after Shams Charania announced the trade, revealing: "[The] Nets are excited about MPJ and the intention is to keep him."

Porter is under contract through the 2026-27 season and is owed $38 million-plus over the next two years. He averaged 18.2 points per game in his final act with the Denver Nuggets, the second-best mark of his career, while shooting 50.4% from the field.

The transaction reunites Porter with head coach Jordi Fernandez, whom the 27-year-old spent four seasons under from 2018-2022.

Porter's connection to Fernandez and high level of production are intriguing, but they're not the only reasons Brooklyn is set to retain him.

When comparing Porter and Johnson's stats, they're nearly identical. The latter was a massive contributor to the Nets last year, and the former essentially steps into the same role.

Plus, Brooklyn needed help at the three spot. In a room consisting of Jalen Wilson, Tyrese Martin and the newly re-signed Ziaire Williams, the Nets didn't boast a true bucket-getter at that position (despite Wilson and Martin showing flashes of such at different points throughout last season).

Wilson is best utilized as a spot-up, Martin can occasionally create his own shot, but was inconsistent, and Williams is better suited as a versatile defender than go-to offensive weapon.

Brooklyn also chose not to address the position at the 2025 NBA Draft, instead drafting four guards and one point-forward, so Porter should have no competition for the starting job come next season.

Assuming the Nets eventually work out a new contract with Cam Thomas, he and Porter will become one of the league's most exciting duos. Both are prolific scorers, each with the capability to average over 25 points per game, something that couldn't be said for the previous pairing of Thomas and Johnson.

No disrespect to Johnson, he was the definition of a professional during his time in Brooklyn and was a perfect fit in the locker room. That said, he's more of a sharpshooting role player on a championship contender, whereas Porter has the chance to continue developing beyond what he's currently viewed as.