Could Michael Porter Jr. be on the move ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline?

Since the unofficial start of the NBA’s trade season on Dec. 15, much of the discussion surrounding which players might be on the move has focused on perennial All-Star and All-NBA-caliber performers with marquee names: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Ja Morant, et al. But with the Feb. 5 trade deadline now just over a month away, it seems like there’s an increasing level of interest around the league in the availability of — and the potential market for — Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Just six months ago, the Nuggets sent the Nets an unprotected 2032 first-round draft pick to take on the final two years and $79.1 million of the five-year rookie-scale-maximum contract that Porter signed in the summer of 2021. After an excellent start to his tenure in Brooklyn, though — one that has seen him play his way into potential All-Star consideration — Porter may well have gone from distressed asset into in-demand target.

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Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports that the Nets have shown a willingness to “listen to pitches” on their veteran players, including Porter, but they haven’t been “actively shopping” the 27-year-old swingman. It’s entirely possible that, as ESPN’s Shams Charania and others have reported, the Nets eschew a big move in favor of just continuing to serve as a cap-space-renting waystation for other teams looking to get off money and willing to pay with draft picks to do so.

If and when conversations begin to perk up over the next few weeks, though, Fischer highlighted several teams to keep an eye on in the potential running for Porter’s services: the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. All four prospective suitors make at least some sense.

According to multiple reports, despite a dismal 14-20 start that currently has them outside the East’s play-in spots, the Bucks’ braintrust continues to signal an intent to try to add talent at the deadline rather than detonating their build through any much-rumored-but-never-actually-consummated blockbuster that sends Antetokounmpo away from Milwaukee. While…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/could-michael-porter-jr-be-on-the-move-ahead-of-the-2026-nba-trade-deadline-184819395.html

Author : Dan Devine

Publish date : 2026-01-02 18:48:00

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