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- Nuggets-Nets trade grades: Denver gets flexibility, and Brooklyn conducts some excellent business</p>
<p>Morten Stig JensenJune 30, 2025 at 8:06 PM</p>
<p>The Denver Nuggets and Brooklyn Nets swung a deal just an hour after the opening bell of NBA free agency.</p>
<p>It's a simple one, but one with potentially huge future implications for both franchises.</p>
<p>Let's get into it.</p>
<p>Nets stay the course and do as planned</p>
<p>When you have millions upon millions of dollars in cap space, but have just started your rebuilding process, there's really only one smart thing to do with all that money.</p>
<p>Rent it out for draft picks.</p>
<p>That's exactly what the Nets did by shipping out Cam Johnson, who's earning $21 million this year, for Michael Porter Jr., who's earning $38.3 million.</p>
<p>The price for absorbing the extra $17.3 million this year?</p>
<p>A fully unprotected 2032 first-round selection, courtesy of the Nuggets, which has a good chance of being juicy as Nikola Jokić will be 37 by the time the pick conveys.</p>
<p>As for Porter, he won't just clog up their cap. He'll get a chance to play and put up numbers. Who knows? Perhaps the Nets can double-dip in 12 months and send his expiring deal of $40.8 million out for another long-term deal, potentially acquiring another pick along the way.</p>
<p>Good business by the Nets.</p>
<p>Grade: A</p>
<p>Cap flexibility coming to Colorado</p>
<p>As you can probably deduce, the Nuggets took back less money and a player of similar caliber to Porter in Johnson.</p>
<p>By clearing $17-plus million from their books, the Nuggets now find themselves with flexibility the next two years because they won't be flirting with the second apron.</p>
<p>They also accounted for Aaron Gordon's raise from $22.8 million this season to $31.9 million in 2026-27 and prepared for the extra cap hit.</p>
<p>The Denver Nuggets get significant flexibility by swapping Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson.-$40 million saved-They get under the luxury tax-They open up the $14.1 million mid-level-$16.8 million trade exceptionAnd more possibilities by getting under the first apron. pic.twitter.com/JYIeFDqQCH</p>
<p>— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 30, 2025</p>
<p>Perhaps more importantly, Christian Braun is extension-eligible and will have a new contract in 12 months, which will be much richer than his current rookie-scale salary.</p>
<p>The Nuggets give up a pick seven years down the line for immediate cap assistance, and while that price was steep, this is a clear buy-in on the Jokić era and an attempt to prolong their competitive window.</p>
<p>Grade: B</p>
Source: AOL Sports
Source: AsherMag
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