Michael Porter Jr. was officially introduced to Brooklyn during the Nets media day on Tuesday and on social media yet another podcast with the big-time forward dropped. This time he spilled some tea on the inner workings of the Nuggets while offering thoughts on their and his future.
Porter was traded to the Nets for Cameron Johnson this summer. Despite losing MPJ, a legendary Denver Nuggets player, a starter on the franchise’s lone championship team, and one of Nikola Jokic’s longest tenured teammates, the group remains among the favorites for this year’s title.
“Yeah, they can win another title,” he told Justin Laboy. “You got Joker, you got Jamal, they’re getting better. Cam Johnson, great player. They got Bruce back, they got Julian Strawwther, a year older. Peyton Watson, Christian Braun. Yeah, they can definitely do it.”
Porter has said in the past he wasn’t surprised by the trade, and he has remained very honest this summer about his feelings with how everything went down. He’s gone as far as to say that a change of scenery may be in his best interest and has said nothing bad about the Mile High City on his way out.
Still, there will be an extra feeling in Ball Arena when the Nets tip against the Nuggets on Jan. 29.
“I do know when we play them, it’s gonna be up for sure,” Porter said. “It’s gonna be fun. I’m gonna go after those dudes. I know they’re gonna go at me. It’s gonna be really fun because I want to show them like, yo, I’m in a whole different role now with Brooklyn, right? And so, like when my shoulder is healthy and I’m feeling good, like that’s gonna be a fun game for sure.”
Porter has shared previously his one regret about his time in Denver, which was playing his last game hampered with a shoulder injury he picked up earlier in last spring’s playoffs. He fought through the pain ultimately, but was a lesser version of himself and for that final impression, he’s been left a little bit bummed about his exit. Though he has no bad blood, especially with Jokic.
“Me and Joke had a dope relationship. Like, I don’t think it (the trade) came from him,” Porter said.
“I feel like if he don’t want it though, that’s not happening,” the interviewer responded.
“Me and Joker got an amazing relationship,” Porter reiterated. “Basically, what happened was that after we lost, they fired the head coach. They fired him three games before the playoffs. They fired the GM. So, a new GM comes in, and I think he just wanted to switch stuff up. And then that deal came up with uh Cam. But Joker is so laid-back. I really don’t feel like the owner and the GM really had many conversations. I feel like Joker’s just like, “Hey, it’s y’alls.” Lik,e Joker is so humble. Like he works really hard, but he’s not the type of guy to try to step on people’s toes and like be super controlling even though he probably could have that power. He doesn’t really do that. So I think it was more the new GM coming in with the owner, and they sat down, and then they just wanted to go in a different direction.”
“He really is that dude. I’m saying, though, a lot of people got this misconception that he like cares about horses a lot, but people get this misconception that he doesn’t care about basketball, right, because of how he reacted when we won the finals. He was just like I just want to go home, brother. The way he carries himself. But Joker is one of the most dedicated, hardworking dudes I’ve ever been around. You hear the stories about LeBron, right? How he takes care of his body and what he does. Joker’s the same way. Like I’m talking about, he’s one of the last ones to leave after every game, cuz after the game he goes up and does a lift. After playing 40 minutes and having the usage he does, he goes right up to the weight room, does a lift, which only like there were three or four of us that did, right? Every single day, on the off days, he’s in there taking care of his body. He’s really a special person with a special work ethic that a lot of people wouldn’t understand unless you’re around Joker.”
Porter’s first preseason game with the Nets is on Oct. 10 in Macau.
