3-team Michael Porter Jr. trade proposal that lands Nets star with Warriors

There is a sense around the NBA that a Michael Porter Jr. trade out of Brooklyn is a mere inevitability, with the Nets selling high on the 27-year-old’s career-best campaign in his first-ever season as a first option. And the Golden State Warriors are looming as the high-volume three-point scoring forward’s most likely trade destination — with the Nets’ decision to rest Porter during their Sunday night clash against the Memphis Grizzlies further fanning the flames of trade rumors.

Porter is a perfect fit on the Warriors roster as a volume marksman without much conscience, and he’s expanded his game as of late on both ends of the floor. He’s still as audacious of a sniper as ever, but he’s shown a greater feel for passing the ball and he’s made strides on the defensive end. He’ll also help cover for the Dubs’ deficiencies on the glass.

The Warriors have not exactly been shy about making their stance on trading Jonathan Kuminga known, and on paper, a trade structure between them and the Nets should be pretty straightforward. Alas, the Nets haven’t been very interested in Kuminga anyway, which might call into necessity the involvement of a third team.

Thankfully for both teams, there is a franchise that remains head over heels for Kuminga in the Sacramento Kings. That still seems to be Kuminga’s likeliest destination, as the franchise currently in shambles has an opening for a primary scoring option which he could fill in theory.

To that end, here is a workable three-team trade proposal that satisfies the Warriors, Nets, and Kings’ demands.

Blockbuster 3-team trade involving Warriors, Nets, and Kings sees Michael Porter Jr. head to the Bay

Warriors acquire: Michael Porter Jr.

Nets acquire: Zach LaVine, Devin Carter, Buddy Hield, 2026 GSW first-round pick, 2028 GSW first-round pick, 2026 and 2027 CHA second-round pick (via SAC)

Kings acquire: Jonathan Kuminga, Terance Mann, Moses Moody

Why the Warriors do this

As mentioned above, Porter is such a perfect fit on the Warriors’ offensive ecosystem that it might be worth forking over two first-round picks to bring him in. He has had some defensive issues in the past, but at 6’10”, he can make up for that simply by being big. And his experience on the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic-led, motion-based offensive system should allow him to thrive under head coach Steve Kerr’s watch.

The price, however, will be steep. Porter is in high demand right now, and the Warriors are buying high. With the Dubs looking likely to at least make it to the playoffs in the Western Conference, their unprotected first-round picks should land in the 20s range.

While they could draft key contributors from that kind of spot, the guaranteed production that Porter brings should trump whatever upside a young prospect could bring — especially with the Warriors wanting to give Stephen Curry one last shot at a title.

The Warriors also need someone to take on the scoring load alongside Curry; at this point of his career, Jimmy Butler excels at being a high-level glue guy instead of being an offensive focal point. Having Porter around would keep everyone on the roster that much fresher, which should pay off for them come playoff time.

Losing Kuminga has long been inevitable for the Warriors. They are at least bringing in a high-level scorer who’s currently putting up nearly 26 points a night on a true shooting mark of 62.4 percent for their prized youngster whom they’ve held on to for so long. For all the star players the Dubs hypothetically could have acquired for Kuminga over the years, Porter’s not too bad of a haul.

The departure of Moses Moody might be the biggest pain point for the Warriors. Moody has the skillset of a prototypical low-usage 3-and-D wing. He’s the kind of player every winning team would want. But every blockbuster trade exacts a huge price. The Dubs have the likes of Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Will Richard, and even Gary Payton II to fill in minutes at the two and the three anyway.

Nets become reclamation center for Zach LaVine

The Nets have so much cap space that they can afford to become a center for reclamation projects. Zach LaVine is perhaps the All-Star-caliber player whose reputation needs the most rehabilitation, and perhaps he could find absolution in Brooklyn.

LaVine, by so many metrics, has been one of the worst defensive players in the association, and he has gotten lost in the shuffle in Sacramento. He described the Kings’ struggles with such an apt analogy; despite having the skillset of a lead guitarist, he’s been asked to play the drums, and the results have been ugly.

The Kings may want to simply dump LaVine’s salary considering how his trade value around the league isn’t very favorable for them since he’s set to make over $48 million for the 2026-27 season on a player option (which he most likely will pick up).

The Nets could then take a chance on LaVine and get him back to producing at a high level. And perhaps this offseason, the Nets could sell high on LaVine as well, getting more assets in return.

Brooklyn should be ecstatic that they’ll be getting two first-round picks from the Warriors and two second-round picks from the Hornets ( from the Kings courtesy of the LaVine dump) for Porter on top of LaVine and the other pieces they’ll be getting.

Buddy Hield, at this point, is salary fodder with two years left on his deal after the current campaign. Devin Carter is a reclamation project for the Nets as well, with the former lottery pick struggling to get any sort of consistent burn in Sacramento.

Kings finally get their man in Jonathan Kuminga

The Kings have been Kuminga’s most prominent suitor from the get-go. They were all over the Warriors forward when he hit restricted free agency this past summer, although they weren’t able to strike an agreement with the Dubs on a potential sign-and-trade, as Golden State refused a package centered around Malik Monk, Carter, and other pieces from Sacramento.

But the Kings have to know that that package makes even less sense for the Warriors at present, especially when Porter is looming as the Dubs’ biggest trade target. Moreover, the trade value of the players on the Kings’ roster has only gotten worse through the season amid their horrid 2025-26 campaign, especially with Monk and Carter being in head coach Doug Christie’s doghouse for most of the campaign.

In this trade scenario, the Kings are at least getting off of LaVine’s contract, as well as two second-round picks that should land within the high-30s, and are getting three rotation players (at worst) in the process.

Kuminga could thrive as a main scoring option in Sacramento, and his life should only get easier once Domantas Sabonis returns. Moody fortifies the Kings at the wings, which has been a grave need of theirs all throughout the 2025-26 campaign. Terance Mann is an experienced rotation hand, a 3-and-D wing who helps balance out Sacramento’s guard and usage-heavy roster.

In essence, the Kings got these three players in exchange for De’Aaron Fox, the man they sent away to bring in LaVine. That doesn’t seem like a very good return in the end for their former franchise talent. But LaVine’s value has fallen off quite drastically that this cannot be considered as anything other than a huge win for them — especially when they’re getting a player they’ve coveted for so long in Kuminga.

Once the Kings clear out even more of the players who don’t quite make sense on the team anymore, such as Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan, they can at least begin to chart out a path that makes more sense for them, roster-building-wise, moving forward.

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