Nets in a Similar Position to Last Season Regarding the Trade Market

The Nets are in a similar position to last season regarding trade rumors surrounding one specific player. What should they do differently, if at all?

Jan 12, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) looks on during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets had a fun month of December basketball, going 7-4 and posting the NBA's best defensive rating, but they've come back down to Earth to start 2026. Since the turn of the year, they've gone 1-6 to end up with an 11-26 record at this point in the season.

It's back to business for Brooklyn, which is trying to secure a top draft pick this year while developing the young talent. One of the ways in which the team can further emphasize that is by moving on from some of the veterans on the roster who have garnered interest from other teams.

Just a few weeks from the trade deadline, Michael Porter Jr. has been a name that other teams around the league have reportedly been eyeing. More specifically, The Athletic's John Hollinger wrote that Porter is a lock to be traded, according to a trusted league source.

According to Erik Slater of ClutchPoints, the Nets aren't actively shopping the 6-foot-10 forward, but rather fielding calls. It's eerily reminiscent of what they did last season regarding veteran Cam Johnson, who was not moved before the deadline. Instead, Brooklyn swapped him for Porter in the offseason.

In hindsight, waiting to move Johnson was a smart move by Sean Marks and the front office, but only because Porter is expected to bring back a better return than expected. He's averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists on incredible 49-40-84 shooting splits, making a legitimate case for an All-Star appearance.

This time around, Brooklyn is in the same situation as last season: a struggling team with a high-level veteran that teams clearly want ahead of the trade deadline. If Porter is not in the organization's future, then it needs to act now and go against what it did the previous year.

The Nets have the chance to hold a bidding war for the 27-year-old, given the number of suitors and teams that have inquired above Porter. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, four are ones to watch as potential suitors, but more could come calling before Feb. 5.

This may be as good as it will get for Brooklyn regarding Porter interest. The Nets have the chance to set the market for the rest of the NBA ahead as the deadline approaches. Trading him would only further emphasize rebuilding efforts and get them assets for the future. Keep in mind, their 2027 first-round pick has a swap protection with the Houston Rockets.