With Michael Porter Jr. reportedly headed to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson, the Nuggets aim to cut salary in exchange for a future 1st.
Denver has traded a key piece of its 2023 championship team, Michael Porter Jr., to the Brooklyn Nets along with an unprotected 2032 first-round pick. In the deal, which the teams announced on July 8, the Nuggets receive forward Cameron Johnson and a 2032 first-round pick.
Nuggets receive:
- Cameron Johnson
Nets receive:
- Michael Porter Jr.
- 2032 first-round pick (unprotected)
We have acquired Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Michael Porter Jr. pic.twitter.com/uIfMlKKYjA
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 8, 2025
Reports also surfaced that Denver was coming to terms with free agent guard Bruce Brown, who also played for the Nuggets during their title run before leaving via free agency in 2023.
Free agent Bruce Brown Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. The 2023 NBA champion for the Nuggets returns to Denver. CAA's Ty Sullivan and Steven Heumann finalized the deal tonight with the Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/YZV094pUs0
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2025
Porter Jr.’s departure is a stunning development for a team just two years removed from winning the NBA championship. The 15th overall pick in the 2018 Draft, Porter Jr. averaged a career-high 18.2 points while shooting 50.4% overall and 39.5% from 3-point range last season.
Since their championship breakthrough, the Nuggets, however, have had difficulty retaining quality role players around three-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokić. The free agent losses of Brown, Jeff Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have depleted Denver’s depth, and the team has been eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals in each of the last two seasons.
Johnson, who also enjoyed a career year last season (18.8 ppg, 39% on 3-pointers), takes Porter Jr.’s place in the frontcourt at a cost of roughly $12 million less. The Nets acquired him when they sent Kevin Durant to the Suns at the 2023 trade deadline and there was speculation throughout the season he could be dealt to a contender by a Brooklyn team that is rebuilding.
The Nets had already dealt away Mikal Bridges, Johnson’s close friend who came with him in the Durant deal, to the Knicks last summer in a trade that netted them five first-round picks.
Porter slid to Denver at No. 14 in the 2018 NBA draft due to a back ailment that derailed his college career at Missouri. He sat out his first season in Denver after undergoing a back procedure in July 2018.
The Nuggets also further facilitate the team’s reunion with Brown. The sixth man of Denver’s 2023 championship team, Brown averaged 8.2 points and shot 35.6% from 3-point range with New Orleans last season.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
