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HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 27: Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets drives the ball against Josh Okogie #20 of the Houston Rockets in the first half of the game at Toyota Center on October 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
In the offseason, the Denver Nuggets made the decision to trade Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets. Denver traded him in exchange for Cameron Johnson and a future first-round pick. Since that trade, Porter Jr. has emerged as one of the best offensive players in the league.
With the Nets, Porter Jr. is putting up career-best scoring numbers. He also has hit career-highs in rebounds, assists, and steals with Brooklyn. Of course, the Nets are one of the worst teams in the NBA, so Porter Jr. hasn’t come close to winning at the level he did with Denver.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman was recently asked about the Porter Jr. trade. He believes that it worked out well for everyone involved.
GettyBrooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. dribbles the ball. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
David Adelman Believes Michael Porter Jr. Trade Worked Well for Nuggets
Adelman believes that Porter Jr. was used the right way while he was in Denver, even though Porter Jr. is getting more opportunities in Brooklyn to score.
“I thought we used him the right way. I’m sure he would disagree with me completely, which is okay. But we won a lot of games doing it that way. It’s cool to see him have more freedom under Jordi.”
Porter Jr. recently talked about his new opportunity with the Nets and how he always thought he had this potential in him.
“My expectation was to be the best player in the NBA. Injuries had its way with me… I knew what I was capable of… What I’m doing now is not a shock to me.”
Right now, the Nuggets sit fourth in the Western Conference standings. They also have suffered a lot of injuries within the starting lineup, so it would be nice to have Porter Jr. still in the lineup. Johnson’s offensive stats aren’t as good as they were last season, but the difference on defense is noticeable.
GettyDenver Nuggets head coach David Adelman gestures. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
The Nuggets Might Need to Make a Trade
No longer having Porter Jr. hasn’t had a massive effect on the offensive end of the court for the Nuggets. They currently have the best offense in the NBA. Yet, they have a bottom ten defense in the league. That could be a function of the numerous injuries that they have suffered this season in the starting lineup.
Making a trade to improve that defense might be necessary. With Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas both out for a significant amount of time, they might need to make a trade for a center just to keep themselves afloat. Not having any depth at the center position could be costly.
While Denver still sits in the top four right now, they could start to slide soon if they don’t address the middle of their lineup in the next month or so. Getting Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun back soon might help them out, but they still need a big guy who can help grab rebounds.