Michael Porter Jr. is marking his calendar for Denver Nuggets revenge game

Former Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. shares that he has eyes set on an early 2026 matchup

Apr 26, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) is congratulated by forward Peyton Watson (8) and forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) after the game winning dunk to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 101-99 in game four of round one of the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Denver Nuggets went down to the wire with the NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the Western Conference Semifinals, as they ended up losing in seven games in a blowout loss. After the series concluded, it was made well aware by messages from Nikola Jokic and how the team fared, changes needed to be made.

Therefore, the Nuggets' new-look front office after the firing of Calvin Booth got busy, adding Cam Johnson, Tim Hardaway Jr., Bruce Brown, and Jonas Valanciunas through a series of trades and signings. Now, the Nuggets have gone from one of the most top-heavy teams to one of the deepest. However, the change came at the expense of a key member, Michael Porter Jr.

Nuggets on ESPN's Top 100 Rankings (100-51) 🔽

87. Jonas Valanciunas
67. Cam Johnson
62. Christian Braun

🫱 Denver will have SIX players in the top 100 pic.twitter.com/JvEMiQ9T27

— DNVR Nuggets (@DNVR_Nuggets) September 23, 2025

Now a member of the Brooklyn Nets after being dealt for Johnson, Porter Jr. might now have a chance to take a leap as a scorer and look like the elite scorer he was as a five-star high school recruit. Recently, amid a busy summer of media appearances, Porter Jr. revealed that he has his eyes set on his revenge matchup with the Nuggets.

Porter Jr. Gets Real On Nuggets Matchup

MPJ says he’s going at the Nuggets the next time he plays them.

“When we play them, it’s going to be up for sure…I want to show them I’m in a whole different role now with Brooklyn.” 👀

(h/f @DNVR_Nuggets )

pic.twitter.com/xbaaBGkEpO

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 23, 2025

"When we play them, it’s going to be up for sure…I want to show them I’m in a whole different role now with Brooklyn. When my shoulder's healthy and I'm feeling good, that's gonna be a fun game for sure,” Porter Jr. said.

Porter Jr. was severely hindered by his shoulder injury during the postseason, and that was apparent in his play. Looking at Porter Jr.'s averages after the injury he sustained against the LA Clippers in the first round, he dipped to 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 38.1% from the field. While the injury didn't help, it seemed like it was time for his chapter in Denver to close.

Michael Porter Jr. on playing through sprained shoulder, via @BrendanVogt:

"They said it would be 4-6 weeks. I’m not doing that."

21 PTS, 8 REB, 5-6 3PT in Game 3 win.

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) May 10, 2025

While Johnson now slides into the Nuggets rotation to serve in an off-ball shooter role off Jokic, Porter Jr. will now get the opportunity to play with the ball in his hands much more in Brooklyn. Given Cam Thomas is returning on the qualifying offer and doesn't appear to be a part of the team's future, they could look to funnel shots to Porter Jr., leading to a career season.

Looking at the schedule, the Nuggets and Nets will face off against one another twice in January 2026, with the January 4th meeting being in Brooklyn, while Porter Jr. will make his return to Denver on the 29th. A trade where the Nuggets had to attach a draft pick to move off Porter Jr., they'll be hoping this isn't a deal they regret.