Why Nets' Michael Porter Jr. Should Take Even More 3-Pointers Next Season

The Nets star is looking to build on his career year.

Jan 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) shoots a three pointer against the Phoenix Suns in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Brooklyn Nets have had an interesting offseason, and their moves could lead to a different shot diet for their star forward.

Last season, the Nets were one of the worst teams in the league and were mostly focused on getting their large rookie class some NBA reps. Although there weren’t many clear bright spots throughout the season, the Nets did have some along the way, including a breakout year from Michael Porter Jr.

While Porter had already established himself as a good shooter and scorer in Denver, his year as the No. 1 guy in Brooklyn made it clear that he can take on a larger role without much issue. Creating for himself consistently after spending much of his career getting passes from Nikola Jokic, Porter certainly proved himself as an All-Star-caliber player.

While Porter excelled individually last season, his game may look a bit different when next season tips off. Thanks to some additions in the offseason, most notably the trade for Julius Randle, the Nets may not need Porter to create for himself to the same extent.

That could open up Porter to increase his 3-point attempt rate. 

At first glance, the idea makes sense that playing more off the ball and getting outside looks off kicks from Randle or one of Brooklyn’s young guards could lead to a larger portion of Porter’s shot diet coming from beyond the arc. However, the factor that would make a higher attempt rate for Porter so intriguing is the fact that he already took more than half of his shots from 3-point range last season.

Marking just the third time in his career he’s had a 3-point attempt rate over 50%, last season may have been the first step in the right direction for Porter to elongate his career and raise his level of play in his prime. 

It’s no secret that Nets coach Jordi Fernandez is interested in his team getting up plenty of looks from range, so getting Porter to take even more of his shots from outside could make him a perfect long-term fit with the Nets. Entering the final year of his contract, Porter will still want to prove his ability and put up big numbers for a winning squad, so getting up more of his shots from deep as his usage seems destined to decrease, could be beneficial for all sides. 

Porter will be looking to build on his career year in any way possible, and taking more threes could be the perfect way to do so.