Evaluating ESPN’s Michael Porter Jr. hypothetical trade with Bucks, Nets, Pistons

It sure looks like it Michael Porter Jr.’s days as a member of the Brooklyn Nets are numbered. The Nets have been rumored for the past few months to be interested in trading Porter high, taking advantage of his excellent play in his first appearance as the No. 1 option after playing seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets.

Porter has certainly attracted a ton of interest on the trade market. He’s a high-level scorer who is putting up nearly 26 points a night, and he’s doing so despite drawing most of the attention from opposing defenses as the Nets’ number one option. And with only one season left in him after this current campaign, he shouldn’t cost too much on the market.

This could then make him a a major trade target for an underfunded team as it is Milwaukee Bucks. At 17-22, the Bucks are currently on the outside looking in on the postseason picture, though much of their current woes must be blamed on the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier in the season with a calf injury.

Antetokounmpo already is pledged his loyalty to the Bucks over and over again, which makes it less urgent for Milwaukee to try to get the roster back into contention. But it’s their obligation to Antetokounmpo to try to surround him with as much talent as possible, making Porter that much more attractive of a target.

To that end, ESPN suggested hypothetically a three-team trade that includes Detroit Pistons which sees Porter land with the Bucks in a blockbuster Nets trade. Does this make sense for each party involved?

ESPN’s hypothetical Nets-Bucks-Pistons trade involving Michael Porter Jr.

Bucks take over: Michael Porter Jr.

Nets get: Kyle KuzmaBobby Portis, 2031 MIL first round pick

Pistons get: Cole Anthony, money

The Bucks have to hit the accept button on this one…right?

Porter has caught some flak earlier in his career for being one-dimensional; all he does is shoot, and sometimes his shot selection is so bold, especially in the Nuggets offense under Nikola Jokic. He nicknamed “Never Swing The Rock” with good reason, as he instead chooses to rise above his defenders even when he’s up against heavy competition.

He’s just too good of a sniper from deep to still make enough shots even though some of the attempts he makes are quite painful. But with the Nets, Porter has become more than just a shooter who can thrive regardless of shooting difficulty. He passes the ball more than ever, and even with increased attention from the defense, he still shoots effectively.

It’s porter one of only 24 players in the NBA currently averaging over 20 points per game while shooting over 60 percent. This is nothing to scoff at — he’s rubbing elbows with the best scorers in the NBA, and he’s doing so despite having such an uninspiring and inexperienced supporting cast.

The most pressing area of ​​need for the Bucks is scoring from the wing. Among teams with winning aspirations, Milwaukee might have the most mediocre wing corps; they start AJ Green at the three, and as much as Green struggles defensively, at the end of the day he is a 6’4″ guard who has significant deficiencies on that end of the floor.

Milwaukee has solid guard depth, with the emergence of Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. helping to replace the production they lost with Damian Lillard’s injury and eventual departure. One would think that they could trade from a position of (relative) strength to try to strengthen a weak point.

But ESPN’s hypothetical trade offer had them dangling Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis instead. Alas, the Bucks have no choice, as their only path to salary matching for Porter is to package the two together with another minimum-contract player — with Cole Anthony being the player of choice in this case.

Portis would be a big loss, as he was reliable for the Bucks all year amid Antetokounmpo’s injuries. He’s also a favorite in Milwaukee as one of the few remaining players on a title-winning team in 2021. But if a Porter player is coming, then parting ways with Portis should be much easier for both the front office and the fans.

Abandoning the election in the first round in 2031 is which would give the Bucks some pause. The Bucks don’t control their first-round picks for the next five years; they owe 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2030 picks in exchange and will give up their 2029 first-rounder to the Portland Trail Blazers.

By 2031, Antetokounmpo will be 37 years old; he’s already dealt with calf injuries at age 31, so his health will be in question by then. And that is without considering the fact that by then he will already be in the decline of his career.

The Bucks aren’t in a position yet to make the addition of Porter take them a step further as an East contender, so they might be better off playing it passively given their lack of future assets.

Grade: B-

The Nets’ trade tree keeps on giving

Considering what the Nets parted with to get Porter, getting another first-round pick in exchange for him would be nothing short of a huge win. The Bucks already have a not-so-good outlook for the future given their lack of turnovers and controllable quality young players, and there’s a chance they’ll be all over the East by 2031 — especially if Antetokounmpo’s injury woes continue.

The The Nets are impressed with Porterbut here there is no contribution from either side. The Nets fan base will rejoice if they can flip Porter for even more funding. Their head office would be happy with their work. And the roster, while missing Porter, can now turn to a stronger focus on the team’s inexperienced core.

Acquiring the contracts of Kuzma and Portis, which last even more years, is not ideal. But the Nets aren’t doing much else with their cap space anyway. And perhaps Kuzma’s value could be revived in Brooklyn in a similar fashion to how the Nets brought out the best in Porter.

Call this an incredible (hypothetical) deal for the Nets.

Grade: A

The Clips absorb Cole Anthony

The Pistons don’t need Cole Anthony; they have significant depth at guard, and Anthony likely won’t find much of a role for himself in a rotation with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Carys LeVert and Daniss Jenkins all rooted in rotation. Even Marcus Sasser might be a higher priority than Anthony.

But acquiring cash is always a plus for any team, and Anthony could be released from his contract to find a place where he can play big minutes.

Grade: B