Jan. 31, 2026, 7:58 p.m. ET

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is in the midst of what could be his first season as an All-Star given how well he has played for the Nets this year. Brooklyn won its first game of the season without Porter in the lineup on Friday with their 109-99 win at the Utah Jazz and it’s possible that fact could be influencing how they view trading the sharpshooting forward.

“I know everybody thinks that Porter’s available, that would be news to me. I have not heard that he is available. If he is available, I’ll wait for Shams [Charania] to tell me because I haven’t heard that,” NBA insider Brian Windhorst said on ESPN’s NBA Today show. Windhorst was commenting on the fact that Porter is considered one of the best available candidates to be traded, but the recent reporting suggests the alternative.

Porter, 27, is having the best season of his career as he’s averaging 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 39.8% from three-point land in 38 appearances. Porter’s value to the Nets is immense this season as Brooklyn is just 1-8 in the games in which he’s unavailable and 12-26 in the games he’s able to play in.

Porter has been connected to various teams that are looking for an upgrade in their pursuit of a playoff run including the Golden State Warriors as it seems that he has made it onto their radar, according to NBA insider Chris Mannix. Mannix noted that the Warriors remain interested in Porter, echoing reporting from other insiders earlier in the season, Golden State would only pursue the former Denver Nuggets star if Brooklyn is willing to bring their price down on him.

Based on various reports, it seems that the Nets want multiple first-round picks in any Porter trade, a price that Golden State is unwilling to pay given that they’re trying to secure their future after franchise legends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green retire. Be that as it may, it appears that Brooklyn is more likely to keep Porter than they are to trade him prior to the Feb. 5 deadline.

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