It isn’t easy to move from one of the NBA’s best teams to one of the worst. Unfortunately, that’s the transition Michael Porter Jr. has had to make. Many players would harbor negative feelings toward their former team when this happens, but not MPJ.
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In early July, the Denver Nuggets agreed on a trade to send Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Cam Johnson. Nobody would’ve expected that Porter Jr. would have a new home just two seasons after helping Denver win a championship.
It was clear that after the team’s second-round exit, they had to make a move. And trading Porter Jr. wasn’t the Nuggets’ only play this offseason. They brought back Bruce Brown, acquired Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas. Porter Jr. still views the Denver Nuggets as a team capable of winning the championship. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try to send a message to the franchise that let him go.
“On paper, this is the most amount of talent the Nuggets have surrounded Nikola Jokic with. Alleviating the offensive burden from Jokic and star point guard Jamal Murray simply sounds like a recipe for success,” Porter Jr. said on The Justin Laboy Show.
Yes, the pieces around Jokic place the Nuggets in a prime position to make another deep run in the postseason. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Porter believes the team can go all the way. “They can win another title. They can definitely do it,” he asserted.
But as much as Porter Jr. wants to see his former teammates succeed, he also has plans for how to go about it when he plays against them for the first time. He will no longer be in the same role he once was in Denver, and is ready to show his true potential as a player.
“When we play them, it’s going to be up for sure. I want to show them that I’m in a whole different role now with Brooklyn,” Porter Jr. proclaimed.
Porter Jr.’s claims may come across as tough talk. But it’s also true that his last games with Denver weren’t the best representation of his abilities. The 6-foot-10 forward was playing through a shoulder injury and could barely lift his arms. Now, he is fully healthy and ready to remind the world why scouts once thought he could be a future great.
The first matchup between the Nuggets and Nets this upcoming season will take place on January 4, 2026, in Brooklyn. MPJ’s return to Denver will be a few weeks after, on January 29, 2026.
Denver better prepare itself for that day because Porter Jr. certainly has that date circled on his calendar.
