Grading ESPN’s Michael Porter Jr. trade hypothetical featuring Bucks, Nets, Pistons

It sure does seem like Michael Porter Jr.’s days as a member of the Brooklyn Nets are numbered. The Nets have been rumored for the past few months to have taken an interest in selling high on Porter, capitalizing on his excellent play in his first stint as a number one option after playing seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.

Porter has certainly drawn a ton of interest on the trade market. He’s a high-level scorer who’s putting up nearly 26 points a night, and he’s doing so despite drawing the brunt of opposing defensive attention as the Nets’ number one option. And with only one season left on his contract after this current campaign, he shouldn’t cost too much on the market.

This could then make him a prime trade target for an asset-starved team such as the Milwaukee Bucks. With a 17-22 record, the Bucks are currently on the outside looking in on the postseason picture, although a lot of their current predicament has to be blamed on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absences earlier in the season due to a calf injury.

Antetokounmpo has already pledged his loyalty to the Bucks time and time again, which makes it less of an urgent matter for Milwaukee to try and get the roster back to a contending state. But it’s their obligation to Antetokounmpo to try and surround him with as much talent as possible, making Porter that much more appealing of a target.

To that end, ESPN proposed a hypothetical three-team trade involving the Detroit Pistons that sees Porter land with the Bucks in a blockbuster trade from the Nets. Does this make sense for every party involved?

ESPN’s hypothetical Nets-Bucks-Pistons trade involving Michael Porter Jr.

Bucks acquire: Michael Porter Jr.

Nets acquire: Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, 2031 MIL first-round pick

Pistons acquire: Cole Anthony, cash considerations

Bucks have to be hammering the accept button on this one… right?

Porter has caught some flak earlier in his career for being one-dimensional; all he does is shoot, and sometimes, his shot selection is so audacious especially in a Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets offense. He got the nickname “Never Swing The Rock” for a reason, as he chooses to rise above his defenders instead even when he’s heavily contested.

He’s just too good of a sniper from deep that he still makes enough shots even though some of the attempts he takes are rather head-scratching. But with the Nets, Porter has become more than just a shooter who can thrive regardless of shot difficulty. He is passing the ball more than ever, and even with increased defensive attention, he’s still shooting efficiently.

Porter is one of only 24 players in the NBA who are currently averaging over 20 points per game with a true shooting of greater than 60 percent. This is nothing to scoff at — he’s rubbing elbows with the best scorers in the NBA, and he’s doing so despite having such an uninspiring and inexperienced supporting cast.

The Bucks’ most pressing area of need is perimeter scoring from the wing. Among teams with winning aspirations, Milwaukee might have the most mediocre wing corps; they are starting AJ Green at the three, and as much as Green battles defensively, he is a 6’4″ guard at the end of the day who has considerable shortcomings on that end of the floor.

Milwaukee has some solid guard depth, with the emergence of Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. helping replace the production they lost with Damian Lillard’s injury and eventual departure. One would think that they could trade from a position of (relative) strength to try and bolster a weak spot.

But ESPN’s hypothetical trade offer has them dangling Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis instead. Alas, the Bucks have no choice, as their only pathway to matching salaries for Porter is to package those two together along with another minimum contract player — with Cole Anthony being the player of choice in this instance.

Portis would be the big loss, as he’s been reliable for the Bucks all year amid Antetokounmpo’s injuries. He’s also a beloved player in Milwaukee as one of the few remaining players of their 2021 title-winning squad. But if a player of Porter is coming in, then parting ways with Portis should feel that much easier for both the front office and fanbase.

Giving up the 2031 first-round pick is what would give the Bucks some pause. The Bucks don’t control their first-round picks for the next five years; they owe pick swaps in 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2030 and they are going to be giving up their 2029 first-rounder outright to the Portland Trail Blazers.

By 2031, Antetokounmpo will be 37 years of age; he’s already dealt with calf injuries at the age of 31, so his health will be a huge question mark by then. And that’s without going into the fact that he’ll already be on the downturn of his career by then.

The Bucks aren’t yet in a position where the addition of Porter takes them one step higher as a contender in the East, so they might be better off playing it passively considering their lack of future assets.

Grade: B-

Nets’ trade tree keeps on giving

Considering what the Nets parted ways with to bring in Porter, acquiring another first-round pick in exchange for him would be nothing short of a major win. The Bucks already have a not-so-good future outlook considering their lack of tradeable picks and controlled quality young players, and by 2031, there is a chance that they bottom out in the East — especially if Antetokounmpo’s injury problems persist.

The Nets have been impressed with Porter, but there is no attachment here from any party. The Nets fanbase will rejoice if they manage to flip Porter for even more assets. Their front office would be pleased with their stroke of business. And the roster, while missing Porter, can now pivot to a stronger focus to the team’s inexperienced core.

Acquiring the contracts of Kuzma and Portis, which run for multiple more years, isn’t ideal. But the Nets aren’t exactly doing much of anything else with their cap space anyway. And perhaps Kuzma’s value could be revived in Brooklyn similarly to how the Nets have brought out the best in Porter.

Call this one an incredible (hypothetical) deal for the Nets.

Grade: A

Pistons absorb Cole Anthony

The Pistons have no need for Cole Anthony; they have considerable guard depth, and Anthony is unlikely to find a huge role for himself in the rotation anyway with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert, and Daniss Jenkins all entrenched in the rotation. Even Marcus Sasser might be a bigger priority than Anthony.

But acquiring cash considerations is always a plus for any team, and Anthony might end up being released from his contract to find a place where he could play huge minutes.

Grade: B

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