Scotto’s Latest: Teams Eye Michael Porter Jr. as Nets Weigh Future Fit
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With forward Michael Porter Jr. eligible for an extension this summer, rival front offices are tracking the 28-year-old’s situation in Brooklyn, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Porter is entering his ninth NBA season and is owed $40.8 million in 2026/27, the final year of his current deal. The Nets, who added five rookies last year and own the No. 6 pick in the June 23 draft, may not view the veteran as a long-term match for their rebuilding timeline, league executives told Scotto.
Golden State was among the teams that explored a Porter trade before February’s deadline, even weighing a first-round pick, Scotto reported. Any package likely would have included Jonathan Kuminga, who ultimately went to Atlanta in the Kristaps Porziņģis deal. The Warriors’ current cap crunch makes another pursuit unlikely unless they shed Jimmy Butler’s large expiring contract while he rehabs an ACL tear.
Guard Terance Mann was part of those pre-deadline talks, but involving the Nets reserve would have required a third team, stalling negotiations. Mann has two seasons and $31.5 million remaining and is viewed internally as a positive locker-room influence, Scotto noted.
Free-Agency and Trade Notes
Dean Wade: The Cavaliers forward will hit unrestricted free agency and is expected to draw offers around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Cleveland, the lone club over the second tax apron last season, may struggle to compete financially if it also re-signs James Harden.
Sandro Mamukelashvili: The Raptors big man plans to decline his minimum-salary player option. Scotto reports that Mamukelashvili could command a deal worth a significant portion of the mid-level exception. Toronto holds only Non-Bird rights on the 25-year-old and would need to tap into its MLE amid luxury-tax concerns to keep him.
Gradey Dick: Executives view the swingman as Toronto’s most likely trade chip if the club looks to ease its tax bill. Dick, 22, enters the final season of his rookie contract after averaging 14.4 points as a regular starter in 2024/25 despite a down year overall.
Source: HoopsRumors
