One of the major changes for the Denver Nuggets this offseason was trading away Michael Porter Jr. The Nuggets traded the 6-foot-10 forward to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson and a 2032 unprotected first-round pick. After a disappointing playoff run with Porter, where he averaged 9.1 points and 5.5 rebounds on 39.2 percent shooting, Denver decided to move on from him.
Porter had a promising stint with the Nuggets. Drafted 14th overall in 2018, many believed that the organization got a steal. Before he was in the NBA, the forward was a star in the country back when he was in high school. In his senior year at Nathan Hale in Seattle, he averaged 36.2 points and 13.6 rebounds.
However, injuries early in his career prevented him from becoming an All-Star player. Still, he was a productive role player who played a significant role in the Nuggets’ 2023 postseason run that led to them winning an NBA championship.
With his stint over, the media got the chance to ask him about his thoughts on being traded. NBA insider Erik Slater got to ask Porter about his reaction to the Denver Nuggets’ decision to let him go.
“I kinda flipped the script in my head pretty quick,” Porter said. “Honestly, I’m not like a super anxious guy or anything like that. So on the plane when I found out, I was kind of just like, ‘Well, I’m traded,’ and took a nap afterwards.
Though Porter expressed his excitement to be in Brooklyn.
“I’m excited to be here, though. I love Denver, I love my time there. But I’m excited for this new chapter.
Michael Porter Jr. gets reunited with a former Denver Nuggets coach
During the first four years of Michael Porter Jr.’s career with the Denver Nuggets, he got to know Jordi Fernandez, who was an assistant coach for the team from 2016 to 2022. Last season, he became the head coach of the Nets.
With their reunion, Porter has a bit of familiarity with the system and said that he doesn’t think it’ll be a difficult transition.
“It’s been great, I’m excited to be back with Jordi. I know he has his guys playing hard. He’s implemented a lot of similar things from Denver. So, I don’t feel it’s a huge shift from some of the things I’m familiar with… I think it’ll be an easy transition for me.”
Michael Porter Jr. on his reaction to being traded from the Nuggets to the Nets 😅
"Honestly, I'm not like a super anxious guy or anything like that. So on the plane when I found out, I was kind of just like, 'Well, I'm traded,' and took a nap afterwards."
(via @erikslater_) pic.twitter.com/k63ogtseZB
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 14, 2025
In his first year as a head coach, Fernandez led the Nets to a 26-58 record. He’ll get to coach the former Denver Nuggets forward in his second year.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
