NBA Trade Report: The Denver Nuggets trade Michael Porter Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets for Cameron Johnson

The Denver Nuggets are finally making moves in the offseason — and it’s a surprising one, as management has decided to trade Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2023 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Cameron Johnson.

Porter’s trade came as a surprise to many, considering he was a key part of the Nuggets team that won the 2023–24 National Basketball Association (NBA) championship. However, the move was necessary for Denver, as it allows the team to get off Porter’s contract. He has two years remaining, with salaries of $38.3 million in the upcoming season and $40.8 million in 2026–27. In comparison, Johnson is set to earn $21 million next season and $23 million in 2026–27.

The trade marks the first major move made by the Nuggets’ new front office led by Ben Tenzer and Jon Wallace and helps the franchise move below the luxury tax threshold.

BREAKING: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/o6rdWhu3Rl

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025

Porter enjoyed the best season of his career last year, averaging a career-high 18.2 points on 50.4 percent shooting from the field and 39.5 percent from three-point range. Selected 14th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, he has spent his entire career with the Nuggets but has struggled with injuries, failing to appear in more than 60 regular season games since the 2021–22 season.

Cameron Johnson, meanwhile, brings frontcourt versatility and is coming off a breakout 2024–25 campaign, averaging 18.8 points per game on 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Selected 11th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2019 NBA Draft, he was immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Dario Šarić in exchange for Jarrett Culver. The 29-year-old joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2023 as part of the Kevin Durant trade and famously finished third in NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2022, behind Tyler Herro and Kevin Love.

It has been a turbulent few months for the Nuggets, who fired head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth with three games remaining in the regular season.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.