Porter Jr. Reaches New Milestone in Nets’ Loss to Knicks

Michael Porter Jr. splashed a 3-pointer off his patented dribble-handoff action with Moritz Wagner, reaching a new career milestone: 7,000 points.

Porter entered Monday's game against the New York Knicks 17 points shy of the accolade. He achieved it in the third quarter and put the Brooklyn Nets up 73-69 before a fourth-quarter collapse.

The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter joined elite company after scoring his 7,001st point. He, Luka Dončić, James Harden, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Lauri Markkanen are six players with over 7,000 points, 2,500 rebounds and 1,000 3-pointers made in their careers.

It took him 336 days to reach the milestone, as he surpassed 6,000 points on Dec. 1, 2025, against the Charlotte Hornets. Porter finished with 35 points on 13-for-24 shooting (7-for-11 from three), seven rebounds and four assists.

Since Brooklyn acquired him last offseason, he's grown significantly as a scorer. The 28-year-old averaged a career-high 24.2 points last season.

Coach Jordi Fernández empowered him to score as the primary shot creator. Porter took more shots, creating his own using simple dribble moves to blow past defenders and drive downhill.

Fernández also maximized the elite off-ball skills that made him a championship contributor with the Denver Nuggets. The dribble hand-off action and flare screens generated quality looks for Porter every night.

He's replicating similar production this season, leaning more into his role player traits alongside Julius Randle. Positive regression is favoring Porter early, as he's shooting 38.1% from three, which is closer to his usual efficiency.

While Brooklyn's sharpshooting wing keeps the team's offense afloat in close losses, his future with the team is in jeopardy.

The two parties are in limbo regarding a contract extension. They haven't come close to a potential deal since July 6, when Porter became extension-eligible.

He's seeking $40 million a year in a new deal, close to a maximum contract. The Nets aren't in a rush to close out on an extension, but the longer this saga draws out, the less attractive Porter becomes as an asset.

Sean Deveney reported that teams may offer a protected first-round pick in negotiations. Porter's skill set isn't the issue; it's extending him at the price he wants and teams likely won't give real draft assets for a rental who could leave in the offseason.

Porter's future has clouded Brooklyn's offseason and remains an unanswered question seven games into the season. For now, he's focused on helping the team win as many games as they can.