The Denver Nuggets were not able to make the NBA Finals this season and have shaken up the team around center Nikola Jokic. The team has fired the general manager and coach while having some free agents plus now trading away a former NBA Champion to the Brooklyn Nets. Who was it and what does this mean for both the Denver Nuggets and the Brooklyn Nets going forward? Let’s take a deeper dive into all that we know about this deal.
Denver Nuggets Trade Away Michael Porter Jr.
The Denver Nuggets have made a move as the team has traded away power forward Michael Porter Jr. and their 2032 unprotected first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for power forward Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. This move officially saves the Denver Nuggets $17 million and allows the team to officially be able to use their mid-level exception (MLE) to improve the roster. For the Nuggets, they will have Johnson for two seasons as he is in the third year of a four-year, $94.5 million contract.
For the Brooklyn Nets, this deal is a bit simpler. The team is able to eat contracts as the team with the most cap space this offseason and to add the final two seasons of Porter Jr’s five-year $179 million contract, they were able to also add the 2032 unprotected first-round pick. Depending on how the Denver Nuggets are able to build around Nikola Jokic and a loaded Western Conference, this gives Brooklyn another lottery ticket to either wait and get a young player like they did with their five first-round selections this year or use as a trade chip down the line.
This move is going to be interesting for both teams and it could shape how these teams play for the 2025 NBA season.
