The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly getting ready to trade leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. -- and they are "eager" to do so if they can facilitate his departure in a multi-team deal that would bring additional draft capital in 2026 and beyond.
The 8-19 Nets are continuing to lay the groundwork for a full-scale rebuild. According to Jake Fischer, Porter and other veteran players in Brooklyn could be moved in advance of the NBA's Feb. 5 trade deadline as the Nets try to weaponize their league-best $15.2 million in available cap space.
Porter is the biggest trade chip that the Nets have, amid a career season that comes in the second-to-last year of his $179 million contract.
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Porter, an NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, is averaging 25.6 points per game this year on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.
For teams in need of size and shooting, Porter offers both in a 6'10'' frame. He's on pace to shoot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc for the fourth time in seven seasons. He's also averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, another career-high.
The Nets may have to wait a while to flip Porter after receiving a first-round pick from the Nuggets to acquire him over the summer. His $38.3 million cap hit (rising beyond $40 million in 2026-27) will be difficult for other teams to absorb. Suitors would have to send large expiring contracts and draft capital back to Brooklyn in order to get a deal done.
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