Why Michael Porter Jr. Could Outperform Ex-Nets Forward Cam Johnson in 2025-26

Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Johnson posted nearly identical stat lines last season. Midway through the summer, they were traded for each other, reuniting Porter with his former assistant coach, Jordi Fernandez, while Johnson chases a championship alongside Nikola Jokic in Denver.

Still, the players are viewed quite similarly. In The Athletic's list of the top 40 wings in the NBA, Zach Harper listed Johnson at 18 and Porter at 20. Other notable names around those two include Brandon Miller and Ausar Thompson.

While Harper's ranking is extremely fair based off of last season's production, their roles are about to completely change. In Denver, Porter was the third option. He was firmly solidified behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray as a tertiary offensive alpha, which is essentially the exact position Johnson will find himself in come the 2025-26 regular season.

Porter, however, is about to feel the perks of being able to eat up "empty calorie" statistics. Johnson, who was without question the Nets' best weapon when Cam Thomas missed time last season, was the undisputed go-to in Brooklyn's scoring attack—a role that now belongs to Porter. There's a reason why some within the front office believe Porter can contend for a scoring title this season. He's going to get fed on the offensive end, which should result in some monster numbers.

Plus, now that he's reunited with Fernandez—whom Porter developed under during the Nets' head coach's time with the Nuggets from 2018-22, which were coincidentally the best seasons of Porter's career—Brooklyn's fanbase can expect to see a more polished, free version of the 6-foot-10 wing.

That doesn't necessarily mean Porter will enjoy more overall success than Johnson, and the reason should be pretty obvious. The Nuggets, at this point, are perennial title contenders, while the Nets are preparing to embark on the second season of their complete rebuild. Johnson will obviously have an advantage over Porter in the wins department, but in terms of individual success, it's fair to believe Brooklyn's big offseason addition will outperform his predecessor.

We'll have to wait and see what the regular season has in store before we can truly debate who won this trade. That said, purely based off their 2024-25 performances, it won't be a surprise to see the Nets' forward appear slightly more productive than he was a year ago, nor will it be a shock if Johnson's numbers take a dip from where they were when he was a primary scoring option.