Former Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. believes Denver would have triumphed with him, questioning their past trade decision while embracing Brooklyn's future.
On Friday, Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. sounded off after his former team, the Denver Nuggets, were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.
"Yes," Porter replied when asked if he believed Denver would have beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves if he was still there. “They shouldn’t have traded me, man.”
Porter joined popular Twitch streamer N3ON's live stream to talk about the Nets' season and his acclimation to New York.
"I'm living my best life in Brooklyn," Porter said. "Even though we didn't do well this year, I see the future. We’re the youngest team in the league, and we have a lot of money to spend."
The Nets are set up to have a lot of cap flexibility entering the offseason.
I recently highlighted two potential free agent targets that Brooklyn has been linked to -- Atlanta's CJ McCollum and Porter's former teammate, Peyton Watson.
Porter is entering the final year of his five-year, $179 million deal that he signed with the Nuggets, but has expressed his intent to return to the Nets and help the franchise turn around their recent struggles.
"If it was up to me, I'd love to sign an extension with this franchise," Porter said in his postseason presser. "I would love to spend many, many years in Brooklyn and make this my home and watch this franchise take off."
On the stream, Porter doubled down on those remarks, but he said his positive feelings towards his new team now were a 180 from how he initially reacted to being traded to New York City's "other" NBA team.
"My first reaction, I was sick," Porter said. "I knew Brooklyn wasn't a good team at the time and I hated New York. New York was my least favorite city I've ever been in."
Porter, a Missouri native, said NYC's dense population and crowding were difficult for him to get used to, but he has learned to love it.
"But now I know my way around, and it's lit," Porter said. "New York is cracking."
In his first year with Brooklyn, Porter averaged 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and a career-best three assists, shooting at solid 46.3/36.3/85.9 splits.
His ability to stretch the floor and contribute without the ball in his hands makes him a constant fit in the Nets' lineup, no matter how the team decides to distribute its generous cap space.
Given Porter's positive remarks about the Nets looking toward a brighter future and the ownership's trust in head coach Jordi Fernández, a culture shift may be in the works.
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