Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is coming off the best season of his career that he hopes will lead to him getting a contract extension to continue his partnership with the Nets. While Brooklyn is still in the midst of its rebuild, Porter has been a valuable member of the organization, but it's fair to wonder if he will be sticking around past the February trade deadline.
"Porter has long loomed as a trade candidate. As an in-prime 28-year-old on a team that's knee-deep in rebuilding waters, the timeline troubles are obvious," Zach Buckley wrote on Porter for Bleacher Report. Buckley's article was addressing who the top-10 trade targets in the NBA will be heading into this upcoming season and Porter's name will likely come up plenty
of times just like it did last year.
"Plus, with his production having peaked this past season (career-highs of 24.2 points and 3.4 three-pointers), there might be some strike-while-the-iron's-hot urgency on Brooklyn's end," Buckley continued. "Throw in the fact Porter is on an expiring contract (at $40.8 million), and the trade winds just about knock you off your feet. Barring an extension with Brooklyn, the New York Post's Brian Lewis said on the Third Apron podcast that he'd 'be shocked' if Porter lasts past the deadline without a new deal."
Porter, 28, is coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.3% from behind the three-point line. As Buckley alluded to, Porter is eligible to sign an extension for up to four years and $234 million, but there aren't many people around the league who believe that the Nets will sign him for the maximum amount possible.
Given the fact that Porter has been a trade target since the beginning of last season, Brooklyn will have to weigh the option of keeping Porter for the future against what they could receive by trading him away. Porter being considered a trade target is not surprising at this point in his Nets tenure, but the interesting element will be to see if he signs an extension and what that deal looks like.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Michael Porter Jr. considered top-10 trade target this season
