It’s been a curious off-season and Monday night, it got curiouser.
Despite every pundit and a number of league executives telling every fan that there was NO WAY the Brooklyn Nets would “roster” their five rookies, they did. On the other end of the spectrum, Sean Marks & co. did what every pundit and a number of league executives expected and traded Cam Johnson, not for two firsts, the reported asking price for his services at the deadline but one … and Michael Porter Jr., one of the top young power forwards in the NBA.
So, the off-season has not been predictable but there are people in the prediction biz — yes, those ubiquitous pundits — who are paid to do just that and indeed they have with the Nets-Blazers trade. A survey of five big sites gave Brooklyn three A’s, a B+ and a B while Portland received an equal or slightly lesser grade except in one of the analysis.
As more than a number noted, the Nets wanted to recycle their mountain of cap space into draft assets and maybe get a decent player out of it. As for 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, they had done it twice — turning $17 million in cap space last week into Drake Powell, the 22nd pick in this year’s draft, then doing it again, using that same amount to pick up the 2032 Nuggets piece. Mission accomplished, said the graders..
ESPN
Brooklyn Nets get a B
[A]n unprotected Denver first-round pick in 2032 has considerable upside. By then, Jokic will be 37 and in a different phase of his career if he hasn’t returned to Serbia to race horses full time. The multiple first-round picks the Nuggets have already traded will make it more difficult to be back in contention by then.
It’s also possible that Brooklyn could get value for Porter coming and going. By next season, Porter will be on an expiring contract, and he should put up strong stats for the rebuilding Nets.
Portland Trail Blazers get a C
[T]o justify giving up the only first-round pick Denver could trade outright, the Nuggets have to do more than just pocket the savings in terms of tax payments over the next two seasons. This trade has to help Denver’s chances of winning a championship during the remainder of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic’s prime.
Previously limited to the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception, the Nuggets have opened a portion of the larger non-taxpayer midlevel.
YAHOO! Sports
Brooklyn Nets get an A
The price for absorbing the extra $17.3 million this year?
A fully unprotected 2032 first-round selection, courtesy of the Nuggets, which has a good chance of being juicy as Nikola Jokić will be 37 by the time the pick conveys.
As for Porter, he won’t just clog up their cap. He’ll get a chance to play and put up numbers. Who knows? Perhaps the Nets can double-dip in 12 months and send his expiring deal of $40.8 million.
Portland Trail Blazers get a C
As you can probably deduce, the Nuggets took back less money and a player of similar caliber to Porter in Johnson.
By clearing $17-plus million from their books, the Nuggets now find themselves with flexibility the next two years because they won’t be flirting with the second apron.
CBS Sports
Brooklyn Nets get an A
Johnson, who has made at least 40% of his catch-and-shoot 3s in each of the last four seasons, could have potentially brought back a player (or multiple players) younger than Porter with a higher chance of contributing to the Nets’ next playoff team. But while other options might have been more immediately exciting, I seriously doubt they would have landed a single asset more valuable than the pick they got along with Porter. Brooklyn was the only team capable of offering the Nuggets the salary relief they needed
Portland Trail Blazers get a A
Remember the rumors about Denver trading Porter for Zach LaVine? This swap is a lot simpler. In a basketball sense, Johnson slides neatly into Porter’s starting slot and replaces Porter’s deadeye 3-point shooting. Offensively, he is a picture-perfect fit next to Nikola Jokicand Jamal Murray. He showed last season that he can create off the bounce when needed, but he has never been a ball-stopper and he won’t demand a ton of touches. He is not a lockdown defender, but he is a clear upgrade over Porter on that end.
SB Nation
Brooklyn Nets get an A
Porter Jr. will help give the Nets some spacing and shooting to help their young ball handlers develop as Johnson exits. This is a perfect trade for the Nets after a highly questionable draft for the franchise.
The Nets have now flipped Mikal Bridges and Johnson for awesome returns following their Kevin Durant trade to Phoenix. Brooklyn has put itself in an enviable position of having a clean cap sheet and ton of ammunition to trade for a star. If the Nets land a top-3 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft, expect an acceleration trade to happen sooner rather than later.
The Nets raised Johnson’s value and moved off him at the ideal time. Brooklyn is loading up, even if they aren’t ready for their next step yet.
Portland Trail Blazers get an B+
Johnson is coming off a year where he made 39 percent of his threes on 7.2 attempts per game. He also made 89.3 percent of his free throws. The Nuggets will take a step back in the rebounding department by swapping Porter for Johnson, but Johnson is a much better passer who also gets to the foul line more. Porter has actually been more durable over the last few years, but Johnson seems like a better bet to stay healthier in the future because he doesn’t have the same nagging injuries that MPJ has endured.
Johnson’s contract is also much more team-friendly than the one Porter Jr. is on. Johnson has two years and $42 million remaining on his deal. Porter Jr. has two years and $79 million left on his deal.
Bleacher Report
Brooklyn Nets get a B+
For the Brooklyn Nets, Michael Porter Jr. may not be a long-term piece for the future (though he’s under contract through 2026-27), but this is still a savvy use of some of their cap space.
By 2032, Jokić could be long gone, and an unprotected first-rounder could be very valuable.
If MPJ imparts a little championship experience in the meantime, great. If not, the Nets weren’t likely to make much noise this year anyway.
Portland Trail Blazers get an A
Johnson is two years older than Porter, but he’s similarly been a lights-out three-point shooter for the last four years, while also being a more mobile perimeter defender and showing more playmaking chops.
This past season, Johnson averaged career highs in points (18.8). assists (3.4) and threes (2.8), while shooting 39.0 percent from deep.
And his increasingly all-around production is likely to get a bit of a boost when he plays alongside Nikola Jokić.