July 8: The trade is official, the Nets announced in a press release.
June 30: The Nuggets and Nets have agreed to a trade that will send Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Nets in exchange for Cameron Johnson, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The move will create significant cap flexibility for Denver. Porter is owed a little over $79MM across the next two seasons, while Johnson’s contract has a base value of $44MM over those same two years (he also has some unlikely incentives that count toward the tax aprons).
It also looks like a potential on-court upgrade for the Nuggets. While Porter is an extremely talented scorer and shooter who averaged 18.2 points per game on a .504/.395/.768 shooting line in 77 games for Denver in 2024/25, Johnson is considred a strong defender and is a pretty good scorer and shooter in his own right.
Johnson scored a career-high 18.8 points per game on .475/.390/.893 shooting in 57 outings for the Nets this past season. He also set a new career high with 3.4 assists per contest.
The trade will move the Nuggets’ team salary more than $13MM below the first apron, potentially opening up the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to use in free agency, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). That could be a valuable tool for a Denver team looking to add quality depth to support a strong starting lineup.
The Nets, meanwhile, will use a chunk of their cap room to accommodate Porter’s incoming salary — if they had been operating over the cap, they wouldn’t be able to swap Johnson straight up for MPJ and his $38.3MM cap hit.
The move will reduce their cap room to about $17MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, though that number is fluid, depending on how the team handles its non-guaranteed contracts and whether either of the reported deals for Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams go into the room exception.
The unprotected 2032 first-round pick is clearly the prize of the deal for Brooklyn. Nikola Jokic will be 37 years old in 2032, and there’s no guarantee he’ll still be a Nugget anyway, so that pick has a good deal of variability and could turn into a very valuable asset.
Still, the Nets don’t view Porter as a mere salary dump. They’re excited about the former lottery pick – who celebrated his 27th birthday on Sunday – and intend to keep him, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
Finally this thing starts. Did they all forget to switch their clocks back or something?
FA on California time
I was hoping the Nets would keep CJ, but I get it that they’re collecting picks.
And they are doing a brilliant job at collecting those picks.
Washington made a ton of moves and only acquired a bunch of 2nds. In the last 2 years, they got only 1 FRP for Avdija, I think. Nets got how many picks for Bridges alone? Who’s a similar calibre player to Avdija.
The Nets are run much better than the Wizards.
Bridges is much better than Avdija.
False.
No way Bridges is better than Deni when you consider what was given up. Plus, Bridges disappearing in the ECF.
Deni disappeared right when the playoffs began.
“Washington made a ton of moves and only acquired a bunch of 2nds.”
Woah, woah, woah. Resident expert Aristotle told me that all successful franchises stockpile 2nd rounders, so Washington is priming themselves for a dynasty.
I don’t think a pick 7 years away qualifies as “collecting picks.”
MPJ is younger and I know some ppl would view this as taking a big swing. I’ve heard ppl say that he’s a guy that could take it to another level if he was the #1 option. Now we’ll get to see.
I can’t lie that I’m a little sorry to see Cam go. He was a solid guy.. a team leader and easy to root for. But this deal doesn’t surprise me. There was some talk about MPJ at the deadline. I’m just not sure about the combined basketball IQ of Clax and MPJ playing together. So, I guess I will like this better if they move Clax.
This is all true. I’m happy for Cam. great move by Denver, it’s worth the pick
Yea, Claxton is a dumb dumb! He keeps forgetting the rules of Basketball!
Attaching a first to get off Porter jr hurts but more flexibility to round out the roster for Denver. I’m sure Cam can’t wait to play with joker.
It takes a lot to get someone off
I think this is a huge win for Denver. I was just thinking a couple of days ago that this would be a great trade for them to get a player that is just as good as Porter but makes significantly less.
I didn’t think that Brooklyn would go for it though.
Although Porter’s salary will make it easier for them to hit the minimum threshold.
2032 pick?!
Still an asset, no?
Unprotected that far into the future is actually a huge asset.
The guy they will get is probably 12 now…
And Jokic will be gone by then, unprotected great pick.
Jokic will be old or gone by then. Yes it’s far out and impossible to predict but it could be quite valuable. Also MPJ isn’t THAT much of a downgrade from cam, just a worse contract and the Nets can afford that in the short term.
Level up for the Nuggets!
That 2032 unprotected FRP sure looks good
Ok, scratch CJ off my Warriors’ wish list now!
Sure Davey
Will MPJ pass a physical?
He was healthier than Johnson, right?
I’m talking his shoulder.
Great deal for the NUGGETS.
They get off from that albatross MPJ contract, get a more stable player in Cam.
I wonder, who’s the pre-teen they’re targeting with that 2032 pick. lol
No one can say this until 2031 or so.
Who’s to say it won’t be moved before then?
Not bad.
Denver now gets to use the full mle. This trade is one of the greatest trades this off season. Boston trade of Holiday and Porzingis and not giving up any draft capital was also brilliant. To the NBA hang up the phone if Brad Stevens calls.
A win for both teams IMO. Denver gave him way too big a contract and had to pay the price to move him, but got a solid player in return. Nets get an unprotected pick and a guy who might shine on their team with 7 pass first guys.
And if Porter does stay healthy and play well, Brooklyn may be able to trade him for a pick.
MPJ gets a chance to be the main guy. Nugs get a guy fine with filling a role.
Yeah, if he stays healthy, which is no sure thing, his shot attempts probably go way up and then he turns into a 25 ppg player. So yeah, at that point, the Nets could either look to cash him in for more picks… or could see him as a core piece and extend him. The Nets will begin to try to win, if not next szn, then the following one. This is really MPJ’s chance to be a lead dog.
MPJ has big lower back issues. We’ve all seen how that affected Simmons.
I’m afraid MPJ’s best days are already behind him. All of us who have those back problems know how it is.
Finally got rid of that terrible contract but that future unprotected pick might hurt them in the future and isn’t Cam always hurt?
Really like this move for the Nuggets
I’m so happy for joker right now
Nuggets swinging for the fences lols. Love it …got Bruce back too . Man
Nuggets moved the wrong player. Should’ve been Gordon. Win win nonetheless with the potential of being a better deal for the Nets later.
Very disappointed with DEN, they should have gotten more for MPJ without giving up the pick, we will see how it works… but as for now I don’t see them getting any better, rather worse.
They didnt just get Cam. They got Cam and 15 million to spend on another player.
Didn’t realise that, good point 👍
Dumb trade by Denver
F for Denver
Tim Hardaway signing helps this crappy trade I guess