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Suns encouraged by ex-NBA star to pursue Michael Porter Jr. trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Trae Young was the first big domino to fall in the 2025 NBA trade market. Could Michael Porter Jr. be the next one out?
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Former NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins recently encouraged the Phoenix Suns to get on the phone with the Brooklyn Nets to pick up Michael Porter Jr.
The ex-star believes that a package centered around Jalen Green could work.
“I want the Suns to use Jalen Green to go and get Michael Porter Jr. to team him up with those guys in Phoenix—[Devin Booker], Dillon Brooks, Michael Porter—I think it’s something worth it.
Green is in the midst of his first season with the Suns. He joined the team via trade away from the Houston Rockets in the deal that included Kevin Durant as the headliner.
Since joining the Suns, Green has struggled to stay healthy. He has just two games under his belt this year, posting averages of 15.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He shot 47 percent from the field and 42 percent from beyond the arc.
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Porter would be a major addition for the surging Suns, but Green could be a hard sell at this time. Despite averaging 21.0 points in 82 games last year, Green’s trade value took a hit after an underwhelming showing in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Overall, his career has struggled up to the early hype of when he entered the league as a top-3 pick in 2021.
Outside of trade ideas whipped up by NBA writers, Porter hasn’t been connected to the Suns as a potential trade target. Cousins clearly hopes that changes as the trade deadline approaches.
Since joining the Nets, Porter Jr. has averaged 26.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He is shooting 41 percent from three, attempting 9.4 shots from deep per game.
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So far this season, the Suns are holding a 23-15 record. They place seventh in the Western Conference, just 0.5 games away from the Rockets.
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