NBA Trading Season: Grading the Michael Porter Jr. / Cam Johnson Deal

It’s a wonder that Michael Porter Jr.’s nickname isn’t “Trade Rumor,” because it seems like the Mizzou product has been on the block since the Denver Nuggets drafted him back in 2018.

Welp, you can officially consider MBJ de-blocked, as the Nuggets shipped him to Brooklyn yesterday, with the Nets sending forward Cam Johnson to the Mile High City in return.

Upon first blush, it feels like an odd deal, in that it isn’t much of a needle mover for either side—and possibly even a step backwards for the Nuggets, as Porter and Johnson basically play the same position, but Denver gets two years older, two inches shorter, and eight pounds lighter.

As for Brooklyn, unless one of their zillion rookies blossoms during training camp, Porter will roll into the 2025-26 season the Nets’ de facto go-to guy.

Spoiler alert: Porter isn’t a go-to guy. At least not yet.

All that said, upon second blush, it kinda-sorta makes some sense.

Brooklyn Nets Reality and Fantasy Grades

Playing fourth fiddle behind Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon, Porter wasn’t ever given the opportunity be an alpha dog, and if any team is in a position to kick the tires on a young player who’s yet to live up to his potential, it’s Brooklyn.

Porter’s only 27, he has just two years remaining on a relatively team-friendly contract, and it’s not like the Nets, with their average age of 22.8 (!) are in any kind of rush.

Since we have exactly zero idea what Brooklyn’s team philosophy will look like—because exactly zero idea what Brooklyn’s team will look like—it’s all but impossible to gauge MPJ’s potential fit…but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, both on the court and in the fantasy box score.

We know the dude can impact both ends of the floor—and he’ll be given plenty of opportunity to do just that—and it’ll likely become apparent within, say, ten regular season games whether or not he has the oomph to become an A-lister, or if he’s destined to be an eternal fourth fiddle.

Barring an injury—something of which Porter has had his fair share—this is a safe dart throw for the Nets, and an intriguing dart throw for fantasy hoopsters.

Reality Grade: B

Right now, it’s on Porter. If he comes in the camp with the mindset of “This is my team,” he could keep the Nets out of the Eastern Conference cellar. And that would be considered a win.

Fantasy Grade: A-

A tenacious defender and solid from behind the arc, MPJ will have the opportunity to become the fantasy beast that we all thought Ben Simmons would be. Don’t let him get past the third round.

Denver Nuggets Reality and Fantasy Grades

After last season, it was apparent the Nuggets needed some tweaking.

Their 50 wins were the fewest since their 2022-23 championship season; they head into the year with a new coach; and their defense finished last season ranked 22nd in the Association.

The Nuggets are still an excellent team—if Jokic is on your roster, you’ll always be in the mix—but they’re not excellent enough to leapfrog Oklahoma City, or fight off Houston or Minnesota, so a move felt necessary.

But this move, in and of itself, will simply not advance their cause. Johnson—a nice player who does everything well, but nothing spectacularly—won’t get them the one-seed.

Reality Grade: C+

Johnson’s a good piece, and a good locker room guy, but he won’t impact winning a whole lot. It feels like the first of multiple transactions.

Fantasy Grade: D+

It’s not like the former Tar Heel was a great fantasy option to start with, but on Denver’s top-heavy roster, he’ll be fighting for statistical scraps. In a ten-team league, he can safely be left on the waiver wire.