Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. came to the Nets this offseason after spending his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets. During his time in Denver, Porter not only showed that he was worthy of being taken with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but he also displayed his ability to contribute to a winning team.

Porter came to Brooklyn as part of a trade this summer in which the Nets traded forward Cam Johnson to the Nuggets in exchange for Porter and a 2032 first-round pick that could prove to be extremely valuable in due time. Following the news of the trade, Porter expressed his gratitude for his time in Denver while also highlighting that he is looking forward to expanding his game under head coach Jordi Fernandez.

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As of this writing, Porter will be joining a starting lineup that also contains guard Cam Thomas and center Nic Claxton, two players that have been solid contributors on the Nets for the past couple of seasons. If Porter is going to ensure that he is not only going to be a contributor, but also a difference-maker, here are three goals that he could strive to achieve:

Improve Playmaking

Despite the name of this section, this entry is not to imply that Porter is incapable of making plays for others when the ball is in his hands. Porter has averaged 1.4 assists per game for his career, but he is coming off a 2024-25 season in which he averaged a career-high 2.1 assists per contest alongside Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Even though rookie Egor Demin is projected to be the starting point guard for Brooklyn after being taken with the eighth overall pick, Porter still has to improve on his ability to make his teammates better.

Continue To Be Efficient

In terms of effective field-goal percentage, Porter was one of the more efficient players in the league last season, which was important for him while being the third option to Jokic and Murray. Porter’s ability to shoot the three-pointer, he’s shot at least 39.5% from that range in four of the last five seasons, is going to be key for him to be efficient while playing on a young, inexperienced Nets team. Porter’s efficiency will most likely decrease from his production with the Nuggets, but this test will be something for him to pass as he continues to evolve as a player.

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Embrace Being A Leader

Porter has made it clear since coming to Brooklyn that he isn’t going to be shy about using his voice to express how he feels about what he or anybody else is going through. While Porter has said some things that people can disagree with, it is key for him to remember that he will be looked to as a leader of this Brooklyn team, especially by some of the younger players. The same way that Porter is speaking with confidence during the offseason is the same way he has to be in the locker room once training camp comes around later this month.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets 3 goals: Michael Porter Jr. has to take next step on offense