Michael Porter Jr. became expendable for the Denver Nuggets after their 2024-25 season failure but now, he is rising like a future star in the league with the Brooklyn Nets.
MPJ is one of the few veterans in the rebuilding Nets but his role there is not just to guide the young ones. The one-time champion is more than fulfilling that by becoming one of the more dangerous scores in the league.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green got to witness that first hand when his team visited and won against the Nets on Monday and thought that MPJ is playing like he was unleashed compared to the times they met in the Western Conference.
“It’s different,” Green said when asked about Porter Jr. “He didn’t have as much freedom in Denver. He didn’t have the ball that much in Denver.”
Draymond Green on facing Michael Porter Jr. with the Nets compared to the Nuggets:
“It’s different. He didn’t have as much freedom in Denver… He’s showing that he’s the player that everybody thought or knew he was coming out of college. He’s finally getting to show that.” pic.twitter.com/YYtJOBiMBy
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) December 30, 2025
Green went on to say that what he is seeing is the talent level that he has when he came out of college through the Missouri Tigers.
“He’s showing that he’s the player that everybody thought or knew he was coming out of college. He’s finally getting to show that.”
Michael Porter Jr. an All-Star?
Nets haven’t had an All-Star since Kevin Durant in the 2021-2022 season. MPJ might just break that.
The 27-year-old forward, whose name was never brought in ASG convos while with Denver, is no. 10 in the Eastern Conference in the first turn out for All-Star fan voting.
Luka Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo lead their conferences in the first fan returns in NBA All-Star Voting 2026.
Fans (50% of the vote) join NBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%) in selecting five players in each conference honored as starters.
Next fan update: 1/6. pic.twitter.com/pHykl9yhTE
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 29, 2025
He currently averages 25.8 points and 7.5 rebounds, numbers that are way better than all the seasons he’s had with the Nuggets. He never averaged more than 20 points in his pro career.
Porter played six seasons with the Nuggets as their 14th overall pick and was a supporting cast for three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. They won the NBA title in 2023.
He was dealt to the Nets over the summer in exchange for Cameron Johnson.
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