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Michael Porter Jr. Says Nuggets Shouldn’t Have Traded Him After First-Round Exit

His injury disclosure refocuses scrutiny on Denver’s Porter‑for‑Johnson trade.

Overview

  • Denver lost 110-98 on Thursday to drop the series 4-2 to Minnesota, and Nikola Jokic said they needed to rebound and catch the ball better as Aaron Gordon missed the series with injury.
  • Following Thursday’s elimination, Michael Porter Jr. told streamer N3ON that Denver would have beaten the Timberwolves if he were still on the roster, saying, “Shouldn’t have traded me.”
  • Porter said he played through a severe shoulder injury in last year’s playoffs, describing shots that made his shoulder pop and injections before games, and he suggested that limited play led to the trade.
  • Last summer Denver sent Porter and an unprotected future first-round pick to Brooklyn for Cameron Johnson to ease salary pressures, and Porter then averaged about 24 points per game while Johnson scored about 12 for the Nuggets.
  • Porter said he is happy in Brooklyn and pointed to the Nets’ youth, cap space, and draft position as reasons for optimism despite a 20-62 season.