Latest NBA Trade Rumors on Michael Porter Jr., Nets Amid Losing Season
Michael Porter Jr. could hit the trade block ahead of the February deadline as the Brooklyn Nets look to facilitate a rebuild by clearing cap space, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
Fischer wrote Tuesday the Nets are "willing to listen to pitches on the bulk of their veteran players" including Porter.
The Nets are also "remaining eager, league sources say, to play facilitator in multi-team trade constructs that set them up to turn unused salary cap space from the summer into draft capital," according to Fischer.
Brooklyn currently sits No. 13 in the East with an 8-19 record. The team already has an NBA-high $15.2 million in cap space as of Tuesday, according to Spotrac.
The Nuggets traded Porter, who helped lead them to an NBA title in 2023, to the Nets last July in what appeared to be a salary dump to get under the luxury tax.
He has since emerged as the top option in Brooklyn, where he's averaging a career-high 25.6 points per game through 23 appearances this season.
Porter is shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep over that stretch, while also contributing 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Even if those numbers would likely dip on another team where he is not taking the majority of the shots, Porter also proved during his run with the Nuggets he can contribute on a contender.
Moving him ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline could be difficult, however, given that no other teams can currently match the cap space the Nets have.
Porter is playing on a cap hit of about $38.3 million this season, with one season and $40.8 million remaining on his contract for 2026-27, per Spotrac.
It would make sense for the Nets to move on from their leading scorer, if they can find another team willing to give up draft capital to make the deal. Nets owner Joe Tsai has seemingly had his eye on improving his team's draft position since October, when he said on the All-In Podcast: "We have one pick in 2026, and we hope to get a good pick. So, you can predict what kind of strategy we will use for the season."
The Nets already got a first-round pick from the Nuggets in exchange for taking on Porter's contract. Getting more draft picks by flipping him while accelerating their apparent tank could be worth taking on some more contracts other teams are looking to get out of ahead of the deadline.
