The Portland Trail Blazers are linked in trade rumors to some big names this offseason. We’ve spent a good deal of time talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaylen Brown thus far, as they represent the pinnacle of potential trade candidates. Beyond those superstars, there’s some intriguing players who could be available this summer that might help enhance the Blazers’ roster next season.
Today we’re going to take a look at Brooklyn Nets’ jumbo wing, Michael Porter Jr. MPJ (27), was traded last
summer from the Denver Nuggets (along with a 2032 first round pick) in a cost-saving move that returned forward Cam Johnson to the Mile High City. Porter Jr. once helped Denver win the 2023 NBA Championship as the third option behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Now he’d try his luck in Brooklyn.
This season MPJ stepped into the top offensive role for the rebuilding Nets, and demonstrated he could level up his play. In 52 games played, he averaged:
- 24.2 points (career high and tied with Blazers wing Deni Avdija for 14th in the NBA)
- 7.1 rebounds
- 3.0 assists (career high)
- 1.1 steals (career high)
- FG 46.3%
- 3PT 36.3%
- FT 86.0% (career high)
- MIN 32.5
Current Situation
Porter Jr. is entering the final year of his contract, where he’ll earn $40.8 million. On July 6th, he’ll be eligible to sign a 4-year, $234 million dollar extension (a $58M annual average.) There are certain factors that cast doubt on him getting a full max extension however. Brooklyn has major roster decisions to make for next season. The Houston Rockets have the right to swap 2027 first round draft picks, so Brooklyn has incentive to prioritize winning next year. They have the #6 overall pick in the upcoming draft and are projected to have between $31 and $47 million in cap space to spend in free agency.
The Nets may decide to keep building with MPJ, or he could be traded after a career season for future assets to align with the 5 first round picks they drafted last year.
Why Portland Should Be Interested
At his postseason press conference, Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin was asked about the team’s biggest need. He didn’t hesitate to lead with shooting. “The whole season – we just don’t shoot the ball well enough.” Porter Jr. is a career 40% three-point shooter who takes half of his shots beyond the arc. He also converts an elite .778% at the rim where 19% of his shots come from. His overall shooting splits during his seven NBA seasons are an impressive 49/40/81, with a true shooting percentage of 61.4%. That would rank him first on this season’s Blazer roster.
At 6’10”, MPJ is a tough cover on the perimeter with his ability to raise up and fire over most defenders. He’s the exact kind of scorer that should be an ideal fit next to the offensive engine that is Deni Avdija. His shooting gravity would instantly open up the floor for the Blazers, thereby making their offense multi-dimensional. Teams who load up in the paint to slow down Deni’s attacks and Clingan’s offensive rebounding would live dangerously when the ball is swung around the perimeter to find an open Porter Jr. or Damian Lillard.
MPJ brings playoff experience. He can rotate between being a first, second, or third scoring option who can create his own offense. He’s also a good rebounder and willing passer. Adding him to the Blazers’ starting lineup would definitely raise their offensive output that ranked 17th in scoring and 28th in three-point percentage.
Why Portland Might Stay Away
While Michael Porter Jr. can deliver All-Star level offense, he comes with several warts as a trade prospect. His health is shaky; he’s missed 20 or more games in 5 of his 7 seasons. Chronic back issues have forced three surgeries, plus a condition called Drop Foot caused by nerve damage. It doesn’t allow him to lift his left foot on his own. He has to wear a custom brace when he plays. It’s amazing after all of that he’s able to play NBA basketball at a high level at all.
During last season’s training camp Porter, Jr. said that he doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to play, that he’s taking things season-by-season now. With his contract expiring next year, figuring out the price and length of his next deal will be tricky for whatever team he’s on. Portland could use the flexibility of Porter Jr.’s predicament as a way to cut salary to make room for Avdija’s eventual pricey contract extension.
The Blazers and injured players have gone together like peanut butter and jelly for what feels like the franchise’s entire existence. If they were to trade for MPJ, they’d likely want to work out a team-friendly extension that had significant non-guaranteed language built in. With Porter Jr. eligible to continue with a huge annual base salary, the Blazers would have to get the contract right and hope that he can be available when needed and not become a salary-cap albatross. Adding him might be more hassle than it’s worth.
MPJ is also outspoken off the court with his own podcast (and showing up on others). He’s not afraid to get deep into his personal beliefs, some of which are socially controversial. At one point, the Nets had to call a meeting with him to work on toning down some of his rhetoric due to his public representation of the franchise. On the court and in the locker room he is well regarded by his teammates. Off the court, he leaves himself open for the public to develop opinions about him that may give some the “ick.” Portland would have to weigh his talent vs. cost, health risks, and potential PR issues to decide if he’s worth the gamble. He’s the ultimate boom or bust trade target.
The Trade
Brooklyn is likely entertaining offers for MPJ. After the season he had, the cost could be at least one unprotected first-round pick (or two protected) and a solid contributor to backfill the offense they’d be losing. Could Jerami Grant packaged with the Blazers’ 2027 unprotected first and a couple second round picks get it done? This trade would put the Blazers into the salary cap tax.
My guess is the Nets would ask for Shaedon Sharpe, but matching salaries becomes an issue on the Blazers end. Because Brooklyn has a lot of cap space, they could do an unbalanced trade. If Portland sent out Grant and Sharpe (no picks), that would be $54 million in outgoing salary against MPJ’s $40.8 million, keeping the Blazers under the tax. Depending on if it becomes an extension and trade, Portland could be looking at generating a traded player exception worth about $13 million to use for acquiring another player in trade for up to a year.
The Bottom Line
A healthy Michael Porter Jr. would instantly raise the Blazers’ ceiling for the 2026-27 season, perhaps for an additional one or two years. It’s a short-to-medium-term trade where you hope the team can catch lightning in a bottle. He’s an expensive, volatile hired gun that would help the team maximize Damian Lillard’s return with more spacing and scoring. Is he worth taking a gamble on at the possible expense of the 22-year-old Sharpe, who’s locked up contractually for 4 more seasons?
If this became Portland’s best acquisition option, I would do it only if a team-friendly extension could be worked out and the cost is nothing more than the aforementioned assets. (NO Milwaukee pick consideration!) The Blazers need to add a proven elite shooter who can create their own offense if they expect to compete at a higher level in the loaded Western Conference. Acquiring MPJ would require them to fall on the correct side of a disciplined dividing line between getting a fair deal and overpaying.
