Michael Porter Jr. spent a lot of time with Nikola Jokic when he was a part of the Denver Nuggets, and recently he shared details about their relationship in the wake of Porter’s trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
Porter Jr. was drafted with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Nuggets. After missing his rookie season due to an injury, Porter would spend the next six seasons with the team. During his time there, he averaged 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point range. Porter Jr. was also a key component to the Nuggets’ 2023 championship run.
Earlier this offseason, Porter Jr. was traded from the Nuggets to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson.
In a recent interview with Justin Laboy, Porter Jr. broke down Jokic’s role in the trade — which turned out to be rather minimal.
“Basically, what happened was after we lost, the head coach was gone, they fired him two to three games before the playoffs,” Porter Jr. said. “They fired the GM, so a new GM comes in, and I think he just wanted to switch stuff up. "Then the deal came up with Cam [Johnson] but Joker's so laid back, I really don't feel like the owner and the GM really had many conversations.”
Despite no longer being teammates, Porter Jr. still has plenty of respect for the three-time NBA MVP, and is confident that Jokic didn’t force him out of town.
“Me and Jok' had a dope relationship, man. I don't think [the trade] came from him,” he said.