Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is beginning a new chapter in his basketball journey. Following his offseason trade from the Denver Nuggets, that means figuring out how to fit into a team that doesn't feature Nikola Jokic. Many, including Porter Jr., assumed his new role with the rebuilding Nets would entail a drastic uptick in ball-handling responsibilities.
However, rather than reinventing Porter Jr., Brooklyn head coach Jordi Fernandez has focused on maximizing the 26-year-old's strengths — size, shooting, and off-ball movement. Following an up-and-down start, the Nets trade acquisition is playing the best basketball of his career, excelling as a movement shooter, off-ball cutter and facilitator.
Porter Jr. posted a season-high 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting during Sunday's 129-106 win over the Washington Wizards and dished out a career-high seven assists for the second consecutive game.
“You just see the line that he had. Efficient shooter on twos and threes, efficient playmaker, and a very good rebounder. That just makes the team better,” Fernandez said postgame. “He has a plan for him to get better and to show things that he hasn’t done before. And right now, for him to buy into finishing his cuts, not dancing, not overdribbling, putting pressure on the rim, everybody benefits from it. And guess what? Usually, when he does it, he’s the one benefiting from it. So we want him and need him to play like this, because that’s just contagious and good for the group. So, I'm very proud of him.”
Over his last six appearances, Porter Jr. has averaged 27.3 points and 3.7 assists on 48/36/88 shooting splits. He continues to be one of the NBA's top tough shotmakers from beyond the arc. However, his career-best scoring numbers outside of that haven't come with flashy isolation possessions or high-volume pick-and-roll reps.
Michael Porter Jr. excelling in lead offensive role following trade to Nets
Instead, Porter Jr. is making a living by leveraging his size and shooting gravity on off-ball actions. He's rejecting pindowns and DHOs for backdoor cuts, creating separation for high-low passes when defenders top-lock actions, and finding teammates when defenses overcommit to him.
“When I was in Denver, everyone assumed that I was just getting some of those cuts because of Nikola [Jokic] and his vision. But I’ve always been a cutter, a guy that likes to find easy buckets, use my size around the basket,” Porter Jr. told YES Network after Sunday's win. “So coming over here, it’s something that I have been intentional about. [Nic] Claxton and Day’Ron [Sharpe] can really pass the ball, and they found me for a lot of easy points around the rim. So I got to keep doing that.”
Michael Porter Jr. is making a living off backdoor cuts and high-low passes off the Nets' off-ball actions.
Jordi Fernandez is doing a nice job leveraging MPJ's shooting gravity and size to create easy buckets. Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Shapre's passing ability is huge here, too. pic.twitter.com/tLFN9sTrZt
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) November 17, 2025
Porter Jr. has maintained his high-level efficiency with the Nets while stepping into a lead offensive role. Over 12 appearances, he's averaged 24.1 points on 47/35/85 shooting splits with 3.3 assists and 2.3 turnovers per game.
The 6-foot-10 forward has posted a 55.7 effective field goal percentage, ranking seventh among 17 players attempting over 18 shots per game. His +6.7 offensive rating is the fourth-highest among all forwards to play over 200 minutes, per CleaningTheGlass. And he's assisting on 17.3 percent of his teammates' made shots, more than double any other season of his career.
Porter Jr. is under contract for $38.3 million this season and $40.3 million in 2026-27. Should he continue to perform well, he's young enough to be a part of the Nets' next iteration. Brooklyn could also attempt to flip him in a trade, whether for draft picks or as the main salary filler in a deal for a star.
