Michael Porter Jr. sends definitive message to Nets with extension, trade talks on horizon

Michael Porter Jr. enjoyed the best season of his career following his surprise trade to the Brooklyn Nets. The star forward will be eligible for a contract extension this summer as he enters the final year of his deal. Will the rebuilding Nets extend the soon-to-be 28-year-old or trade him while his value is up?

Porter hopes it’s the former.

“If it was up to me, I would love to sign an extension with this franchise,” he said. “I feel like the guys mesh. We have great vibes, great energy in the locker room, and to be a part of something that is building in a positive way with positive momentum, that would be awesome. I would love to spend many, many years in Brooklyn and make this my home and build and watch this franchise take off because we saw glimpses of it this year. Terance Mann actually sent me a little breakdown of that stretch when we were winning a lot of games and the basketball we were playing. We have a lot, and there were a lot of positives. Front-office wise, they have the ability to make some moves and make us even better. If the goal is to win, which we all know it is, then I would love to make this my home.”

The Denver Nuggets salary-dumped Porter alongside a 2032 first-round pick to the Nets last summer in exchange for Cam Johnson. While Porter stepped out of the national spotlight following the trade, he quickly turned heads while shouldering a heavy burden as the Nets’ leading scorer.

The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .463/.363/.859 shooting splits across 52 appearances. He posted a +9.8 offensive rating swing (team points scored per 100 possessions with a player on the court vs. off), the seventh-highest among all NBA players who played over 1,000 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass.

Nets face key decision on Michael Porter Jr.’s future during pivotal offseason

Porter is set to make $40.3 million in the final year of his deal and will be eligible for an extension on July 6. Following his career-best season, he could command a multi-year deal on par with his current salary.

Without control of their 2027 first-round pick, the Nets will attempt to take a step back towards the playoffs next season. Will they lock Porter, their top player, into an extension before then?

“I think the summer is going to be a lot of those discussions, whether it’s with Michael or a variety of decisions we have to make with a variety of our players on the team,” GM Sean Marks said.

Porter posted elite efficiency on one of the NBA’s toughest shot diets during the first three months of the season. However, he cooled off considerably after he was snubbed from the All-Star team.

“I was a little inconsistent down the stretch. I think once the All-Star break happened and I realized I wasn’t an All-Star, I had a little slippage in my focus, a little slippage in my preparation, and that can’t happen, regardless of what was going on with the team and the team record. So there’s definitely a lot of ways I can grow.”

Brooklyn will have to decide whether Porter’s production during the first half of the year is sustainable. After quieting doubters during his first season in a non-Nikola Jokic-centric offense, the Nets forward feels he has another level he can reach.

“I think overall it was a positive season for me. I think there are even steps I can take to expand my game even more,” Porter said. “I compare this season to a little bit like my first season in the NBA. Your first season, you see the speed of the game and everything. And then that offseason, you get to adjust and realize what the NBA is all about and come back better. In this new role, it just felt like a completely different experience out there, with the new team, young guys, and new role for me. So this offseason, now that I’ve seen it, I kind of know what it’s going to be like out there not playing alongside Joker where he’s just feeding you passes and you’re wide open. It’s a lot different. I think that maybe it should change people’s opinion that I can expand my game. I think there’s a lot more that I can do.”

Porter’s medicals will also play a significant role in Brooklyn’s decision. Several front offices flagged the former top recruit during his pre-draft process due to a back injury. He underwent three back surgeries early in his career, but appeared in 158 out of 164 regular-season games over his last two seasons with the Nuggets.

Porter’s future will be one of the top question marks surrounding the Nets this summer. He’s already begun dialogue with Brooklyn’s brass about his future, and while he hopes to stay put, he knows things change quickly in the NBA.

“We spoke a little bit in the exit interview. Me and [assistant GM] Andy [Birdson]. Me and Sean have had a phone call,” Porter said. “My job is to just make it clear I want to be here and let those guys know. And from there, it’s on them, and it’s whatever’s best for the franchise. Either way, they can let me know what’s going on or not. I have no hard feelings. I always feel grateful and blessed to be given an opportunity to play for a lot of money.

I think that Sean and them, they will be transparent with me, but I mean, I don’t think that they owe me that. But obviously, as a player, I would appreciate it, and I would kind of like to know what they’re thinking. But things happen quickly in the NBA, deals come up, and things move pretty fast. So just got to take it in stride and see what happens.”

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