Could the Nets pay Michael Porter Jr. the max while saving money?

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. is coming off the best season of his career and while it didn't result in his first All-Star appearance, everyone around the league recognized his impact. Porter, Brooklyn's leading scorer from the 2025-26 season, is eligible for a contract extension and there is a chance that the Nets could pay him his maximum extension while "saving" money.

"Porter is set to make $40. 8 million this season. He has eight years of service, making his max for next season $49.

5 million. Because they’ll have cap space, Brooklyn can use some of that to bring Porter’s contract up to that max of $49. 5 million for next season through a renegotiation-and-extension," Keith Smith wrote for Spotrac.

Porter has one year left on his contract and he'll likely be looking for the most money he can get at this stage of his career. "Do you like Michael Porter Jr. a lot more as a player who makes $30 to $33 million per year than nearly $50 million?