Should the Nuggets Regret Cam Johnson, Michael Porter Jr. Trade?

In July 2025, the Denver Nuggets broke up their core by trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson. Now, eight months later, both teams are eliminated, and it makes fans wonder if the trade was worth it.

Should the Nuggets regret this deal? Porter Jr. believes so, openly saying that they should not have traded him.

"Yes," he said when asked if the Nuggets would have won with him still on the team. "Shouldn't have traded me."

MPJ says the Nuggets would have won if they hadn’t traded him

“Shouldn’t have traded me.” pic.twitter.com/OpdZP7yR71
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 1, 2026

Is he right? Should the Nuggets regret trading him away? Of course, it is impossible to actually say whether he would have made the difference in their first-round series against the Timberwolves, but we can think about whether or not they should actually regret last year's move.

Why it was the right move

Obviously, we can start with why the Nuggets felt like they had to trade Porter Jr. away. For starters, he was owed $38.3 million this season and is still owed $40.8 million next season before hitting the open market. Comparing that to Johnson's contract, who made just $21.1 million this season and is owed $23.1 million next season, this move was a no-brainer.

The Nuggets got rid of Porter Jr.'s contract to give them the freedom to make other moves. If they still had his $40 million deal on their books, they would be even more limited than they already are.

Granted, this is why they had to also attach a future first-round pick to the deal, which seems like a mistake, but they likely felt it was the best way to go all-in on this two-year window.

CAM JOHNSON GOES COAST-TO-COAST FOR THE SLAM!

NUGGETS UP 27 IN Q4 OF GAME 5 🍿 pic.twitter.com/suE1RTOy0Q
— NBA (@NBA) April 28, 2026

As for on-court production, Johnson simply gives the Nuggets a different look on the wing. Porter Jr. is very talented and one of the league's most prolific three-point shooters. Still, Johnson's value as an on-ball creator, three-point shooter, and defender, rolled into one, is arguably more important.

As we saw in their season-ending Game 6 loss, even when the Nuggets' offense was stalling, Johnson was able to create for himself and keep their offense afloat. Of course, we would have liked to see more of that, but he showed some offensive aggressiveness that Porter Jr. does not have in his game.

Why it was a mistake

While Johnson's all-around game might be more valuable than Porter Jr.'s, the Nuggets do likely miss what the Nets forward brings to their team. Sure, Johnson might be a better playmaker, but it is hard to replicate the impact Porter Jr. had on Denver's offense.

Porter Jr.'s length and prolific three-point shooting made him the ultimate third option in Denver's offense alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. While Johnson filled that role just fine, Porter Jr. was likely a better fit in Denver's system.

Jan 27, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. (17) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

On top of being a valuable tertiary scorer for the Nuggets, Porter Jr. is a much better rebounder than Johnson. The Nuggets got destroyed on the boards against the Timberwolves in the playoffs (-53 in six games), and there is no question that Porter Jr. would have helped with that.

All in all, there is no real way to tell whether or not the Nuggets would have beaten the Timberwolves with Porter Jr. in the lineup, especially since Johnson was ultimately one of Denver's best players in that series. All that matters now is that they do not have Porter Jr.'s $40 million contract to worry about this offseason, and that is likely enough for them not to lose sleep over this trade.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google