Could under-the-radar Nets star Michael Porter Jr. be on the move?

The grist to the NBA trade season mill is this: star names.

Be it Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Trae Young, Anthony Davis or Draymond Green, the NBA media machine largely relies on rumors of what colors a superstar could next be wearing. This writer is as guilty as anyone. 

There is one name, paid like a superstar though only recently playing up to his pay check, who has entered the trade rumor chat: Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Michael Porter Jr.'s form has made him a target

The 27-year-old has made the most of his opportunity to be The Man in Brooklyn, posting career-high numbers across the board: 25.8 points (on healthy 50/41/81 shooting splits), 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists, with 29.8% usage and a PER of 22. Those numbers rightly have him squarely in All-Star consideration, despite Brooklyn’s poor record of 10-22. It has also put Porter squarely in the sights of a number of contenders looking to enhance their own rosters.

Ironically, it was only this past offseason that his former team in the Denver Nuggets — a perennial contender — saw fit to attach a first-round draft pick to Porter to move him off of their books. Now, he might be the missing piece for a different championship core.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line has written that while Brooklyn is not actively shopping Porter, it is listening to offers for all of its veterans. Porter is the most obvious man to be moved should Brooklyn decide to cash in.

Porter’s obvious strength is his ability to score in bunches as both a featured or complementary player. At 6-foot-11, he can fire off that buttery jumper over practically any defender and is capable as both a movement shooter or attacking a closeout.

Defensively, Porter is barely adequate in one-on-one situations, though his length and smarts make him a generally positive team defender, able to cover ground with his long wingspan. To that end, the Nets' 110.4 defensive rating since the beginning of December ranks third in the NBA.

Who could move for Michael Porter Jr.?

The Chicago Bulls have held a long-term interest in Porter, wanting him as the main return for Zach LaVine a few seasons ago, before talks broke down and LaVine was sent to the Sacramento Kings. Would they look to rekindle that interest? Porter could thrive as the recipient of Josh Giddey’s playmaking, while he would form a fascinatingly long forward pairing with Matas Buzelis.

Further north, the Milwaukee Bucks have made it clear that they would prefer to upgrade rather than tear it all down. Porter would provide yet another shooter to open up the floor for Antetokounmpo, though of a far greater overall quality than any of his current supporting cast.

The East-leading Detroit Pistons would be wise to let their core develop this season rather than making any seismic moves. That said, Porter is far closer to the age profile of their young core than Davis or even Antetokounmpo and would likely cost less to acquire. He is also a far more complementary player than those two stars, while he would likely allow the Pistons to retain emerging centre Jalen Duren. Still, the fit in Motor City is intriguing. Do Tobias Harris and Jaden Ivey — with picks — get a deal done?

The most controversial team on this list is the Golden State Warriors. Despite Steph Curry’s enduring brilliance and a top-heavy veteran roster, the Warriors are a middling 18-17. Porter would give them a desperately needed elite shooter to flank Curry who can adapt to their intuitive offensive system while not taking too much off the floor in team defense.