The Nuggets' desire to turn Porter Jr. into a better two-way fit for the roster was well known, but no one was quite sure if they'd find a team willing to take on the remaining $79 million on his deal.

The Nuggets made a huge splash at the start of free agency on Monday night, trading away starting forward Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected first-round pick to the Nets for forward Cam Johnson, according to a league source. Denver also reached an agreement to sign free agent Bruce Brown, a key member of its 2023 championship squad.

The Denver Nuggets decided a reshuffle was in order after a second successive exit in the Western Conference semifinals.