At this point, Brooklyn Nets rising star Michael Porter Jr. is considered to be the Golden State Warriors primary trade target. The general feeling heading into this week was that it was a matter of when Porter would be moved rather than if he would. In fact, The Athletic’s John Hollinger reported that he was “a lock to” be traded by Feb. 5 deadline.
Now, two prominent NBA insiders are all but shutting down the speculation about Porter being traded in the immediate future.
Nets Hesitant To Move All-Star Hopeful Michael Porter Jr. Amid Trade Rumors
“The Nets, looking ahead towards next season, are going to want to take a step forward. Michael Porter Jr. could very well be a part of that with the way he’s playing and he’s still young, in his prime,” HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto tells YES Network host Justin Shackil.
“…I would temper expectations on a trade,” he adds.
On the heels of that report, The Stein Line insider Marc Stein appeared on the ALL NBA Podcast, stating plainly that: “…The Nets —more people that I speak to than not —keep telling me the Nets would rather not trade him now, as hot as he is, to wait till the offseason, see how they do in the lottery, and then make a decision.”
Essentially, there’s not necessarily a guarantee that Porter will remain with the Nets through the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Nevertheless, Brooklyn doesn’t appear to be gung-ho about trading him during his career season. Of note, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez recently offered high praise for 27-year-old, saying: “He’s an All-Star. He’s played like an All-Star. You just gotta watch him play and how much better he’s gotten. And he’s been in a different role (as the first option). He’s proven he can do it.”
Compare those comments to Fernandez’s lukewarm compliments on Cam Thomas‘s game. Or better yet, see how they contrast with Nets former head coach Kevin Ollie’s criticism of Mikal Bridges.
Will This Make Teams Try Harder To Trade For Him?
Porter has his flaws but he’s a dynamic talent who has shown he can play a niche role or an expanded one and still dominate. The icing on the cake is that he’s in his physical prime, making him an ideal acquisition for a playoff team.
Of course, all of this would only make Porter more enticing to the Warriors.
After all, they desperately want to remain in title-contention. On top of that, the 6-foot-10 marksman is seen as someone who can be current Dallas Mavericks wing and former Warriors mainstay Klay Thompson‘s successor. Due to that fit, there’s a chance that Golden State would up the ante, making a Godfather offer to Brooklyn. Keep in mind, a three-team trade featuring Porter, Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga and a Sacramento Kings veteran could be in the works.
The Detroit Pistons are another team that could see Porter as just the type of player they need.
Tobias Harris hasn’t performed as well as Detroit expected. Replacing Harris, a starter who’s averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting 33.3% from 3, with Porter would go a long way. Notably, Porter is averaging 25.9 points per game and shooting 39.7% from 3. Meanwhile, the Pistons rank 26th in 3-point conversions per game (11.1) and 18th in 3-point percentage (.352). Furthermore, MVP candidate Cade Cunningham has to do a lot of heavy lifting offensively. He’s their only player averaging over 18 points per game. No other perimeter player is averaging over 14 points per game.
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