Is Nets Star Among NBA's Most Underrated Players Ahead of 2026-27 Season?

Michael Porter Jr. had a career year in Brooklyn, but he's still getting overlooked.

Mar 10, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) warms up prior to the game against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets are set to be one of the league’s most interesting teams next season, and they may also have one of the league’s most underrated players. 

Going into next season, the Nets are looking to make their way back to the postseason for the first time since 2023. After a few seasons of being near the bottom of the standings, Brooklyn finally may be ready to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

With the additions of Julius Randle, Mikel Brown Jr. and others, the Nets are set to be an intriguing team in the Eastern Conference landscape. As they look for a postseason appearance, they’ll be relying on a forward who has quickly become one of the league’s most underrated players.

Michael Porter Jr. will be in his second season in Brooklyn and has a chance to build on his career year from 2025-26. Last season, Porter averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and three assists, showing he can be a reliable option at high volume.

Of course, coming into last year, Porter’s value was quite low, as Denver had to attach a first-round pick to simply turn him into Cam Johnson, who struggled throughout his first year with the Nuggets. Meanwhile, Porter has now shown he can be a relatively reliable No. 1 option when needed after already proving himself as a winning player by starting for the Nuggets in their 2023 title run.

Porter’s injury history has always loomed over his performance in the league, but when he’s on the floor, he undeniably impacts the game. Porter also has had controversial off-court distractions, seemingly causing a stir any time a podcast microphone is put in front of him.

Despite those negatives, Porter has still shown he can be a winning player in the league, and averaging nearly 25 points a night last season shows he may only be scratching the surface as he enters his prime. Putting up similar numbers next season for a Nets team that is competing for a postseason spot could show just how valuable he is.

Considering that Porter is also entering the final year of his contract, he could soon become a highly coveted free agent if he can continue to find success as a Net. As the Nets and Porter continue to be overlooked ahead of the season, all it will take is a few big nights to get the attention on the former champion.