Have Brooklyn Nets Already Won Michael Porter Jr.-Cam Johnson Swap?

The Nets and Nuggets made one of the biggest deals of the 2025 offseason, and early returns certainly favor Brooklyn.

Jan 4, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) grabs a rebound in the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets made one of the biggest moves of the 2025 offseason, and they may have already come out on top.

Over the past year, the Nets have slowly made some moves that should help them make the transition from a lottery-bound tanking squad to a competitive team looking to get to the postseason in 2027. While the Nets have several young players who will be in their first or second year, some new additions from free agency and Julius Randle, Brooklyn also has one of the league’s most interesting players in Michael Porter Jr.

Acquired last offseason alongside a 2032 unprotected first-round pick from Denver in exchange for Cam Johnson, the deal was widely viewed as a fair one and a potential win-win. However, in the year since, the perception of the trade has actually shifted steadily toward Brooklyn’s favor.

When the trade first happened, the clear wild cards were the two pieces heading to Brooklyn. While it was still unknown how Johnson would fit in Denver, it was easy to see how he could quite seamlessly fill Porter’s spot in the starting five and gel alongside Nikola Jokic.

Porter was seen more as a wild card because of how he might fare going from being largely a catch-and-shoot player to being thrust into creating more on his own. Fortunately for the Nets, Porter has thrived in his new role, even if his efficiency has dropped slightly. 

Still, it’s hard to imagine the Nets being in a much better spot with Johnson, and it’s hard to imagine the Nuggets in a worse spot with Porter after losing in the first round to a Minnesota team that was missing its starting backcourt. Although Porter was viewed as a bit of an unknown, the 2032 pick from Denver is still a major wild card in this conversation.

Ultimately, if Denver can rebound from last season’s failure and win another title in this era with Johnson in the lineup, the Nuggets likely won’t care where the pick falls in six years. However, the Nuggets don’t appear ready to contend anytime soon, even with Jokic in his prime, and that pick could easily become extremely valuable for the Nets.

Regardless of what Porter’s future holds, the Nets are the clear winners of the deal after one season, and things are certainly looking solid for Brooklyn moving forward. Unless some major changes occur, the Nets will continue to be the winners of the Porter-Johnson swap.