When the Brooklyn Nets finally decided to trade veteran Cam Johnson in a deal that felt long overdue, many fans were scratching their heads. Instead of getting young players for the 29-year-old forward, the team went in a bit of a different direction.
Brooklyn sent Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. It wasn’t ludicrous in the moment, and the two had similar surface-level stats last season. However, Porter did not, and still doesn’t, fit the Nets’ timeline.
Johnson was one of the better 3&D players in the league last season. In Brooklyn, he averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists on efficient shooting splits. Porter, on the other hand, had impressive stats in Denver, but has a reputation of relucting to pass. At the time, the Nuggets seemed to be the bigger beneficiary of the trade.
However, more than 10 games into the 2025-26 season, that narrative has been completely flipped on its head. Johnson has struggled mightily with the Nuggets and only played eight minutes in their most recent win over the LA Clippers. The 6-foot-9 wing is putting up just 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on putrid efficiency.
While the Nets are a measly 1-10, Porter’s individual production has shot up. The 27-year-old is averaging a career-high 23.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 46-36-84 shooting splits. He hasn’t been spectacular for a rebuilding Brooklyn squad, but he’s performed as many would expect, if not slightly better.
Porter’s future with the Nets is uncertain despite being a first-year player for the organization. He has another year left on his contract after this season, but they could easily use him as a trade piece to get even younger.
One of the most slept-on aspects of the Porter-Johnson swap is the unprotected 2032 first-round pick. There’s no telling what the Nuggets will look like over six years from now, and if they enter a rebuild with Nikola Jokic set to be 37 years old at the time of that draft, Brooklyn could get a nice surprise down the line.
There’s still plenty of basketball to be played, and while no Nets fans are hoping to see a former fan-favorite like Johnson fail, it’s at least relieving to see Porter putting up solid stats and boosting his trade value. Brooklyn is looking like the clear winner of the trade thus far.
