After seven years, a championship, and five postseason appearances, Michael Porter Jr. is preparing for a new chapter away from the Denver Nuggets. Denver took a chance on the former high school prodigy, gambling on his durability and rewarding his success with a $179 million contract.
That inevitably made it difficult for the Nuggets to come to terms with the need to trade Porter—but any and all reluctance should be effectively eradicated in light of his recent comments.
Denver began its active offseason by trading Porter and a 2023 first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets for sharpshooter Cameron Johnson. It was a savvy move by the Nuggets, due in no small part to the financial flexibility it created. Porter seems to view the trade as being mutually beneficial.
During an interview with Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, Porter stated that he felt as though he'd reached his ceiling with the Nuggets based on their preferred style of play.
"Over there in Denver, I feel like my ceiling had kind of plateaued,” he said. “We just have a way of playing, and how Joker plays, how Jamal plays, that two-man game is very potent. That’s how we play. I’m so appreciative of the way we played. We end up winning a championship, but I do feel like my ceiling in Denver kind of plateaued a little bit. I’m excited for this next chapter in Brooklyn, for sure.”
In case anyone had doubts about whether or not the Nuggets should've traded Porter, his comments on his role should eliminate any remaining skepticism.
Michael Porter Jr. believes he "plateaued" with Denver Nuggets
Porter spent seven seasons with the Nuggets and helped the team win a championship. Not much more needs to be said than that in regard to his place in franchise history and the quality of the contributions he made during his time in Denver.
The unfortunate truth, however, is that his comments reflect a reality that many had readily acknowledged: Any further growth he's due to experience will likely transpire elsewhere.
Factoring in availability, Porter is coming off of what may have been the best regular season of his career thus far. The 27-year-old posted averages of 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.5 three-point field goals made per game, shooting efficiently at .504/.395/.768.
Unfortunately, Porter's well-documented postseason woes continued as he averaged just 9.1 points on .392/.343/.714 shooting during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
It was by no means a confirmation of Porter's inability to perform in the playoffs, but it seemingly signaled the end of his time as Denver's third scoring option. Aaron Gordon emerged as a more reliable offensive weapon, thus making Porter's $35,859,950 salary all the more difficult to stomach.
For the Nuggets, the decision was clear: It was time to move on from a financial burden and questionable postseason fit. For Porter, a similar tune was seemingly sung.
Porter has proven to be far more than just a spot-up marksman, no matter how impressive his 41.8 percent shooting on catch-and-shoot threes may be. In Denver, however, he maxes out as the third option—which inevitably restricts the flexibility of the role he plays.
With the Nuggets adding a better fit and Porter having a chance to display what he's truly capable of as an all-around scorer in Brooklyn, this may very well be the epitome of a win-win move.