Nuggets ditch Michael Porter Jr. in huge trade for outside-shooting superstar to make Nikola Jokic happy

Billy Heyen

Nuggets ditch Michael Porter Jr. in huge trade for outside-shooting superstar to make Nikola Jokic happy image

"This is the biggest move the Nuggets have made in years."

That's how ESPN's Brian Windhorst described the huge trade Denver pulled off on Monday night.

The Nuggets are sending Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets. They're getting Cam Johnson in return.

Johnson is one of the most underrated stars in the NBA. He's a star defender and a fantastic player on the perimeter.

In 2024-25, Johnson averaged 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

In his NBA career, Johnson is a career 39.2% 3-point shooter.

Johnson has been in the NBA for six seasons, split between Phoenix and Brooklyn.

He was originally the 11th overall pick in 2019, and he's 29 years old.

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Porter had been a great scorer for Denver, including on their 2023 NBA championship team. But his back problems and defensive inability held the Nuggets back from reaching their ceiling in their current form.

Given the apparent Nikola Jokic potential for unhappiness, the Nuggets needed to make this move.

In comes Johnson as Denver tries to keep up in the high-powered Western Conference. He may have been the best player available on the trade market, and now he's with the Nuggets.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle