Nets get a guy with a ring…
Michael Porter Jr, a key player in the Denver Nuggets title run two years ago, has been traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with an unprotected first rounder in 2032. Going west: Cam Johnson.
Shams Charania was first with news…
BREAKING: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o6rdWhu3Rl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
Shams colleague, Ramona Shelburne, responded to the news saying “the Nets are excited about MPJ and the intention is to keep him.”
The trade brings to Brooklyn a 6’10” 27-year-old with a career 16.2 point average on 50/41/80 shooting splits. Last season, MPJ scored 18.2 points on 50/40/77 not much different from CamJ’s 18.8 points on 48/40/89 shooting. Porter Jr. however is two years younger … and with far more playoff experience, 75 games compared to 38.
The big difference is in salary. Porter Jr. will make $33.3 million in 2025-26 $40.8 million the year after. (In his contract, signed in 2022, the Nuggets commitment 2026-27 could have been reduced to a partial guarantee of $12.0 million. But also under terms of his contract, the salary would become fully guaranteed if Nuggets won a title in the course of the deal … which they did in 2023.)
Johnson has two years guaranteed on his deal, $21.1 million this coming year and $23.1 million in 2025-26. He is eligible next month for a three-year, $102 extension.
Mike Scott spoke with him after the trade.
I spoke with Cam Johnson shortly ago about his reaction to being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Denver Nuggets for Michael Porter Jr and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick.
Johnson told me, “I’m excited to compete for a championship. It’s a new beginning.” pic.twitter.com/I5LIok12hh
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 1, 2025
The disparity in salary will reduce the Nets salary cap flexibility as Yossi Gozlan tweeted.
The Brooklyn Nets have $17 million in cap space after swapping Cameron Johnson for Michael Porter Jr.
They can get to $25 million by waiving all non-guaranteed players. pic.twitter.com/u89ppMqIDh
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 30, 2025
For the Nuggets, the trade gets them under the luxury tax. MPJ has been relatively healthy the last several years after experiencing back issues that required three surgeries that short-circuited his career.
The first rounder while seven years in the future is unprotected and likely to be beyond Nikola Jokic’s prime.