The Denver Nuggets entered the 2025 offseason with limited expectations for making major changes to their team, unless they could trade Michael Porter Jr. and his large contract. On Monday, they accomplished this by trading Porter Jr. along with an unprotected first-round pick for 2032 to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Cam Johnson, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Last season, Porter averaged 18 points and seven rebounds per game while hitting 39.5% of his more than six attempts from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets wanted to improve Porter Jr.’s ability to contribute on both ends of the court, but it was uncertain if any team would take on his remaining contract of $79 million. Fortunately, the Nets stepped up and took him on, making Johnson a great addition for the Nuggets. Before his trade to Brooklyn, Johnson did well in Phoenix, playing a role similar to what he will do in Denver.
Last season, Johnson scored an average of 18.8 points, grabbed 4.3 rebounds, and made 3.4 assists per game with shooting percentages of 48% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 89% from the free-throw line. He will provide the Nuggets with the type of three-and-D wing player they need.
His time in Brooklyn also helped him develop more skills as an on-ball creator, but with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray on the team, his main focus will be on being a sharpshooter to create space for those two stars.
The Nuggets not only brought in a solid player by trading Porter Jr., but they also saved a lot of money since Johnson will earn $17 million less next season. This helped them go under the tax line and gave them more options for this year and beyond.
Meanwhile, the Nets are still focused on building their assets, so they decided to take a chance on Porter Jr. They hope he can thrive as a main offensive player instead of being just a supporting option in Denver, where he had to play behind Jokić and Murray.
Additionally, they received an unprotected first-round pick for 2032, which could be very valuable since that’s after Jokić’s prime (he’ll be 37 then), and there’s no guarantee the Nuggets will transition smoothly as his career winds down.
This pick might turn out to be one of the best draft assets in the NBA, giving the Nets a great trading chip soon or a potentially high draft choice seven years from now.
However, the Nuggets shouldn’t worry too much about the 2032 Draft right now because they need to focus on maximizing their chances while Jokić is one of the top players in the league.
There’s a strong case that Johnson is a significant improvement over Porter Jr., and this deal gives them financial flexibility to make other changes to their roster. One of those changes includes bringing back Bruce Brown at what has been reported as a veteran minimum contract, and they still have room for more signings this summer.
This move shows good strategy from Denver’s new front office and positions them as serious contenders once again this year in the west.
