Nets' Michael Porter Jr. explains remaining positive during rebuild

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. had to endure arguably the toughest season of his NBA career as the Nets finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 20-62 record. Prior to coming to Brooklyn in the summer of 2025, Porter had been competing for championships with the Denver Nuggets and he explained how he kept a positive mindset amidst all the losing this year.

"Yeah, I mean, I think with anything in life you can look at it as kind of a half-glass-full or half-empty type of thing," Porter said during his exit interview on Monday. Ever since the 2018-19 season, Porter and the Nuggets had won at least 46 games in each of his seven seasons with the team, culminating with a championship in the 2022-23 campaign. The Nets were a different story this year.

"I think you could look at this season as a negative if you wanted to, but I view it as a stepping stone in a very positive way," Porter continued. "I think we have five young dudes that really showed real growth and really developed. I think I stepped out of a role I've been in for about seven years now in Denver, and I was able to come here and kind of play in a different role.

And I think that those things moving forward, you need those things. " Porter, 27 , had the best season of his career as he averaged 24. 2 points, 7.