When asked what Michael Porter Jr. had to show amid salary negotiations, Nets GM Sean Marks was transparent in saying consistency and intangibles.
Porter was just as honest in his self-evaluation, admitting he has more to prove to get the kind of contract he wants from Brooklyn.
“Yeah, of course. There’s always more to show,” Porter said. “The main thing is winning. Who cares about putting up 20-plus points a game if you’re not winning? So I think I’ve got a lot more I want to show and prove.
“Obviously one of the big things is being a winning player in this role. I think we can win a lot of games with me being a focal point on offense. So, we’ve just got to win and it’ll take care of itself. But like I said before, I’m not really tripping about it. I’m just excited to play basketball and get the season rolling.”
Despite Porter having become extension eligible on July 6, he and the Nets haven’t reached a deal yet.
Porter is on a $40.8 million expiring deal. He can sign for up to four years, $234 million. He won’t get that much, but how much will he and agent Mark Bartelstein press for? And considering he’s 28 and coming off a career year, what else can he show Brooklyn that he hasn’t already?
“Great question. First and foremost, you’ve got to give the coaching staff a lot of credit there, not only what they did for Mike, but for the whole roster in general,” said Marks, who eschewed the typical GM-speak.
“For us, we’re looking for consistency from [Porter]. We’re looking for him to take another step on the defensive end of it, rebounding. … So just become more of a complete player on the court. The other one is what can you do [in terms of] the intangibles. That’s important for us in the locker room.”
Rookie lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. is still recovering from rolling his left ankle, not yet having advanced to contact yet.
“He’s been doing noncontact. He’s in good spirits. He’s engaged with the practices. He’s learning what’s going on, getting the reps that he can,” Jordi Fernández said. “So far that’s where we are right now, which is a small setback.
“But mentally that’s going to also be a positive thing for you, is how you overcome adversity and fight through it. It defines who you are. Those are the type of players and people that we want in this organization, people [that] have grit.”
Porter praised the 20-year-old in his work coming back from the minor injury.
“Yeah, he’s doing what he can,” Porter said. “He’s staying in shape, getting on the VersaClimber, getting on the bike, lifting weights, doing what he can to be ready to go once his ankle gets better.”
The Nets open the preseason Tuesday in Charlotte.
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