The leading scorer for Brooklyn is dealing with an ankle ailment this late. Why it's time to rest Porter.
The Brooklyn Nets list Michael Porter Jr. in the questionable category ahead of Wednesday night's game.
They're better off moving him to "out" for the rest of the season.
There'll be Nets fans who probably don't want to see this. Understandable since Porter has brought offensive value to this struggling team. Plus the fact Brooklyn plays more efficient on offense when he's on the floor.
But it's time to present the reasons why it's best to rest Porter for the rest of the season if you're head coach Jordi Fernandez.
1) Resting can avoid damaging trade value
Let's remember that MPJ rose as a trade candidate earlier in the season. All because the Nets took on his massive salary when they made the deal with the Denver Nuggets in July.
Brooklyn managed to keep him after the NBA Trade Deadline. But if the Nets want to reconvene the trade talks, the last thing the franchise would want is to trade away a re-injured star.
Porter resting can reignite his trade value if general manager Sean Marks wants to revisit a swap idea during the offseason.
2) Resting MPJ can allow Brooklyn to work with the future
This season became lost awhile ago. Now Brooklyn looks to be jockeying for a top 10 NBA Draft pick...or even the No. 1.
But with a season already done from a postseason chase standpoint, this is a perfect time for Brooklyn to see who's ready to assist this team moving ahead.
It's time to see more of Ben Saraf and Drake Powell. Nets fans have seen the potential out of the rookies. But Fernandez must allow both to gain more experience on the floor especially if they're going to be a big part of the future.
It's also best to play Josh Minott even more minutes including earning a starter role -- just to see how he'd mesh moving forward and if he's willing to give Brooklyn a valuable veteran presence next season.
3) Resting MPJ also gets him healthier for a possible return
Despite the dismal season, Porter sounds like he's all in on the Nets' vision.
If that's the case, Fernandez can sit him to ensure he'll be ready by next season.
Brooklyn doesn't want to risk reaggravating his ankle. With less than 20 games left and with only a draft position to play for, the Nets can save their investment for next season too. That way he's fully healthy to work with Egor Demin (who got shut down already), Nolan Traore and potentially AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson.
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