The Brooklyn Nets are heading into next season with a different look, but the biggest question hanging over Michael Porter Jr. is simple: can he keep the scoring jump he made last year?
Porter gave Brooklyn one of its clearest bright spots in a rough season. After leaving Denver, he settled in fast and took over as the Nets’ primary offensive option. He put up a career-high 24.2 points per game, showing he can handle a bigger workload when the opportunity is there.
That role may not look quite the same this time around. Brooklyn added lottery guard Mikel Brown Jr. and traded for former All-Star forward Julius Randle, giving the roster more players who can handle the ball and demand touches. That makes Porter’s usage harder to pin down, even if his size and skill set make it difficult to picture him dropping all the way back into a pure supporting role.
The challenge is that scoring 24 points a night is one thing on a team that isn’t built to win. Doing it on a group with postseason goals is another. Porter has already shown he can contribute on a high-level team, though, as a starter on the Nuggets’ championship squad in 2023.
Now the pressure shifts again. With Randle in the mix, Porter won’t be the only established veteran star on the roster, and that should cut into his touches. If Brooklyn doesn’t reach an extension with him this offseason, what happens next year could also shape how much money he makes in the summer.
There are two clear directions this can go. In the less favorable version, Porter settles into a more familiar role-player lane and defers to Randle. His numbers could slide back toward his Denver production, and while that wouldn’t be a disaster, it would erase a lot of the progress he seemed to make last season.
But there’s another path, and it might be the more interesting one. More talent around Porter could actually help him, not hurt him. If he keeps his scoring level while playing alongside better teammates, his efficiency and overall impact could look even stronger, especially if Brooklyn ends up around .500.
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