Looking Back at the Trade That Brought Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets acquired Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick from the Denver Nuggets on July 8, 2025. In return, they sent the Nuggets Cameron Johnson.

Both players were in very different situations, and it can't be definitively stated which team won the trade yet. However, now that both Brooklyn and Denver have put a bow on the 2025-26 season, the early returns can be analyzed.

The Nets were rebuilding this season and ended with top odds for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Meanwhile, the Nuggets were just upset by the Minnesota Timberwolves in six games in the first round of the playoffs.

Denver won a championship in 2023 with Porter Jr. as a cornerstone, but after two straight second-round exits, the front office decided to make a change. Brooklyn was looking to take on big salaries along with draft capital for rebuilding purposes and had a high-quality three-and-D player in Johnson to include in offers.

On the surface level, the trade made sense for both sides. The Nuggets didn't necessarily need a player like Porter Jr. when Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and an emerging Peyton Watson were reliable scorers. Instead, seeking out a player who makes solid impacts on both ends of the court was their answer.

Johnson's raw numbers weren't spectacular compared to his usual output, but he set career-highs in efficiency. He averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game on 48% field goal shooting and 43% three-point shooting.

Those numbers stayed consistent in the postseason, too. The fault for Denver's early exit can't be put on Johnson, but the question will come up if Porter Jr. could've taken the team farther.

This was his first season as a first option rather than being a third or fourth option with the Nuggets. Porter Jr. averaged career-highs in points (24.2), assists (3.0) and steals (1.1) per game on 46.3% field goal shooting and 36.3% three-point shooting.

He put up these stats through 52 games, suffering a strained left hamstring that shut him down to end the season. Although his breakout only led to a 20-62 record, he showed that he may have the ability to be the first or second lead scorer on a playoff team.

If the goal of this trade from both sides' viewpoint was to set up a championship run, the Nets have to have more hope. They have an abundance of young talent –– which will increase this offseason –– and plenty of cap space to add proven contributors. Denver is above the first apron and will have to make more salary cap adjustments to field a competent team around its stars.

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