Forward Michael Porter Jr. recently said he “cherished” his first season in Brooklyn, adding that he thinks the Nets are “building something special,” per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). The big question is, will the Nets work out an extension with their leading scorer or possibly look to trade him?

“[General manager] Sean [Marks] and I have talked. Michael loves it in Brooklyn. [head coach] Jordi [Fernández] has been great for him. I think Jordi has been so innovative in how he’s used Michael. I think it’s a great fit,” Porter’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“But that’s something that Sean and I have to sit down and talk about. The Nets have to ultimately chart out their course for the way they want to go forward. Obviously, we got to do the same thing for Michael. If we can make it work where there’s a long-term fit, that would be awesome. But that’s something we’re going to be talking about here in the days ahead.”

As Lewis notes, Brooklyn has multiple options to consider with Porter, including the possibility of renegotiating his contract to give him more money in 2026/27 and then lowering his cap hit in subsequent years on an extension. The Nets still have enough cap room remaining to entertain that idea, which would keep Porter trade-eligible throughout the league year, Lewis observes.

Porter is on expiring $40.8MM contract after averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals on .463/.363/.859 shooting in 52 games in 2025/26 (32.5 minutes per contest). His season was cut short in March due to a hamstring strain.

C.J. Holmes of The New York Daily News believes Porter is a strong fit for the Nets and argues they shouldn’t look to trade him unless they can get an “attractive first-round selection, a young player under team control, useful salary structure or some combination of those assets.”

Still, Holmes wonders if an Eastern Conference contender might be more motivated to bolster its roster and make a deal for Porter after LeBron James decided to sign with Philadelphia.

Porter’s extension talks with Brooklyn will be interesting to monitor, as an overpay could hamstring the team’s efforts to climb back up the standings, Holmes writes, but the “right deal” may be mutually beneficial.

“We’ll have those discussions. We’ve got time. There’s no immediate hurry right now. We value him a lot. He had a terrific year,” Marks said earlier this month. “I love Mike, the guy, the person, the player, and I hope he is part of this team.”