Big Splash: Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Raptors receive: Michael Porter Jr.
Nets receive: RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick (lottery protected)
The Brooklyn Nets aren’t trying to run Michael Porter Jr. out of the borough. In what’s been a revelatory season, Porter’s shown everyone why he believed he should have gotten more touches with the Denver Nuggets. After 32 games, he’s averaging 25.8 points per game on .487-.405-.844 shooting splits. He’s been playing so well that the dynastic Golden State Warriors and conference-leading Detroit Pistons have been wondering if he’s the missing piece. If the Nets did trade him though, word on the block is that they need two first-round picks.
The reason that the Raptors need him is very simple. His primary weapon is the 3-ball. That allows him to complement Barnes and Ingram, who are both shooting under 36 percent from 3 this season, and re-adjust their floor balance. With less congestion in the paint, Barnes and Ingram among others should be able to generate easier shots. To that point, 58.4% of Barnes’s shots and 53.7% of Ingram’s shots have come with defenders within four feet of them. If Porter’s allowed to lead Toronto’s bench units, he’ll be that much more potent, and thus valuable.
