Settling in with a new team after a trade isn’t always an easy process, but Michael Porter Jr. appears to have done that well in a short period of time. We asked Cam Thomas about how well Porter has settled with the Brooklyn Nets after their 111-109 preseason win over the Phoenix Suns at The Venetian Arena on Sunday, and he sang his new teammate’s praises.
“Mike’s been great so far,” Thomas said. “We just asked him to come over from Denver and just do what he do. Shoot the ball, shoot at a high clip, put the ball in the basket. And he’s been getting acclimated well, and he’s been great so far.”
Cam Thomas on how Michael Porter Jr. is settling with the @BrooklynNets.
“Mike’s been great so far.” pic.twitter.com/WzKbdth0xl
— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) October 12, 2025
Porter had 15 points (6-11 FG), four rebounds, and two steals in the win over the Suns. The 27-year-old has not put up monstrous numbers in the preseason, but he has been extremely efficient so far for his new team.
Porter is averaging 13.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 53.6% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc. If he can increase the volume while maintaining that efficiency, the Denver Nuggets might end up having some regrets over trading him.
The Nuggets sent Porter, who averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2024-25, and their 2032 first-round pick to the Nets for Cam Johnson in the summer. Johnson will earn $21 million in 2025-26, compared to $38.3 million for Porter, and that played a part in the decision.
The trade gave the Nuggets more flexibility, and they’ve been termed as one of the winners of the offseason. To go with Johnson, they brought in Jonas Valanciunas, Bruce Brown Jr., and Tim Hardaway Jr. They are arguably the biggest threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their quest to repeat as champions.
While the Nuggets are among the winners, Thomas is someone who is seen as being on the losers’ side. He didn’t get the kind of long-term deal he was looking for from the Nets and had to accept the $6 million qualifying offer.
Thomas will hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, but a lot can go wrong between now and then. The 23-year-old only played in 25 games in the 2024-25 campaign due to hamstring issues, and another injury-hit campaign would see his stock go down further.
If Thomas does stay healthy, though, expect him to score a lot of points. He averaged 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Nets in 2024-25. Thomas isn’t focusing on being a bit more of a playmaker moving forward, either, with his priority still being to score.
Thomas had 16 points (4-12 FG), four rebounds, one assist, and one block against the Suns in this second preseason meeting. He played much better in the first one in Macau on Friday, where he recorded 22 points (7-12 FG), three rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
Thomas is now averaging 15.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in the preseason. He will be in action next when the Nets take on the Toronto Raptors in their final preseason game at Scotiabank Arena on Friday at 7 PM ET.
