NBA Trade: Nuggets Deal Michael Porter Jr.

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Is this an indication that the Denver Nuggets will undergo a major overhaul?

On July 1, 2025, the Denver franchise entered the trade market and dealt away Michael Porter Jr., a key piece during their 2023 NBA Championship title campaign who spent all his seven seasons playing with the Nuggets.

The Nuggets engaged in trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets and the Eastern Conference team sent sharpshooter Cameron Johnson and a 2032 unprotected first-round pick to finalize the deal.

In his final season with Denver, Porter Jr. averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.6 steals during his 77-game active stretch.

However, his offensive production dipped down when the playoffs began and only chipped in 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game.

During their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Porter Jr. underwent a disappointing shooting slump. It was in their matchup against the newly-crowned NBA kings that his production was missed the most, scoring only six markers in the elimination game on 3/8 shooting from the field.

In the past seasons, Porter Jr.’s defense always became a liability when he was targeted in majority of the screen-switch actions deployed by the opposing teams.

Although Porter Jr. got the length and the height to meet slashers above the rim, his footwork and lateral quickness were an issue when opposing guards drove by him at will, causing the Denver paint defense to collapse easily.

On the other hand, Johnson’s tenure with the Nets was a consistent showing as he averaged double digits from 2023-2025.

He achieved his best scoring season last year, when he dropped 18.8 points per game, just a slight edge over what Porter Jr. brought to the table with the Nuggets.

According to NBA analysts, the trade grade would be a 50-50, as both players possessed similar offensive styles running the curl actions for quick catch-and-shoot plays.

The only difference they pointed out was how Johnson was more versatile on the defensive end, the advantage that the Nuggets absorbed during their thought process in pulling off the trade deal.