Michael Porter Jr. is seeking a contract extension that starts around $40 million annually as he enters the final season of his deal with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Brooklyn is not expected to meet that asking price, leaving another round of trade speculation possible if the sides cannot find common ground.
“Porter is in the final year of his deal and wants an extension that starts at about what he is making now,” Deveney reported Monday. “The Nets likely won’t go that high, and if no middle ground is found, we are in for another heap of trade talk. Even if Porter is extended, he could be a trade candidate by next February’s deadline.”
Porter is scheduled to make approximately $40.8 million in 2026-27 before reaching free agency. Heavy previously identified him as one of Brooklyn’s leading trade candidates, reporting that extension discussions appeared to be faltering.
The 28-year-old strengthened his negotiating position during his first season with the Nets. Porter averaged a career-high 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 52 games while shooting 46.3% from the field, 36.3% from three and 85.9% at the free-throw line.
Brooklyn gave Porter substantially more offensive responsibility than he previously carried in Denver. He attempted 9.3 three-pointers per game and made 3.4, producing the highest scoring average of his career despite the Nets finishing just 20-62 and 13th in the Eastern Conference.
The central question for Brooklyn is whether that production warrants another contract in the neighborhood of $40 million per season. An Eastern Conference executive told Heavy that teams view Porter’s breakout as legitimate but could hesitate if his next contract is based on the value of his current deal.
“I think what he did last year is legit and teams are going to see it that way,” the executive said. “But the problem you have is if you trade for him, are you going to extend him and what is the number?”
The executive added that Brooklyn could still potentially receive a first-round pick for Porter despite his expiring contract, provided an acquiring team is comfortable with the financial commitment required to retain him.
Nets general manager Sean Marks has publicly expressed interest in keeping Porter while stopping short of indicating that an extension is imminent. Brooklyn also remains positioned around a younger timeline after finishing with the third-worst record in the East and selecting Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
