Grading Michael Porter Jr.'s First Season As a Brooklyn Net

Last Summer, Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets surprised the basketball world when they made one of the marquee trades of the NBA offseason.

Brooklyn shipped out fan-favorite wing Cam Johnson to Denver in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick. It was a risky deal, as Porter came with some baggage on and off the court.

The oft-injured Porter still had two years left on a massive contract extension, which would pay him close to $40 million a season for the next two years. He came to the Nets as a player capable of scoring at will, but his unwillingness to pass the rock was concerning.

In his first real opportunity to be a team's number one option, Porter excelled. He played 52 games in his first season as a Net, which would've been more had the team not entered full-tank mode down the stretch. He averaged a career-best 24.2 points per game, to go along with 7.1 rebounds and a very encouraging 3.0 assists per game.

While his shooting percentages were down from his career average, this was still an extremely impressive debut season in Brooklyn for the former lottery pick. He showed off that three-level scoring ability that he was known for in Denver. But he also displayed a playmaking side of his game, one that wasn't as apparent when he was a Nugget.

The three assists a game may not seem like anything crazy, but it was double his career average. While he still chucked up a ton of shots (18.4 per game), he wasn't afraid to swing the rock when needed and find the open guy. That's the part of his game that makes head coach Jordi Fernandez pleased.

Porter was a borderline All-Star last season and probably would've made the team had the Nets been better. There was a lot to like about his first season in Brooklyn, even if some of the warts of his game persisted. There was genuine improvement from him in all facets of the game, and he was a good veteran leader for the young guys on the roster to learn from.

With one more year left on his contract at $40.8 million, there's a good chance that he sticks around this offseason. The Nets are set on improving next season, so keeping a dynamo scorer like Porter on the roster makes a ton of sense. If things go off the rails, they can shop him at the trade deadline. He's an important part of this franchise's turnaround and deserves a chance to stick with it after being a good soldier in a rough 2025-26 season.

All in all, getting a future first and Porter for Johnson looks like very good business for Marks and the front office. While it didn't lead to a ton of winning on the court, this was still a career year for Porter, who proved that he can handle being the top offensive option on a team. He's not a perfect player, but he fits this franchise's needs right now.

Final grade: A

Add us as a preferred source on Google