Extension talks between the Nets and Michael Porter Jr. are ongoing. But they don’t sound urgent or anywhere close to bearing fruit.
Porter was Brooklyn’s leading scorer last season amid a career year. But he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and despite being extension-eligible since July 6, neither side seems to be in a hurry to hammer out a deal.
“Yeah, I’ll leave the negotiations internal,” Nets GM Sean Marks said. “That’s obviously between the Nets and Mike and his agent. But they’re ongoing. The dialogue is ongoing. But again, we are in no hurry to do this. I don’t think he’s in any particular hurry either.
“If there’s a meeting point that we feel like, ‘Hey, this works for both sides,’ then that’ll happen. But as we’ve mentioned before, this is not something that there’s an expiry date on it in the next couple of months either. So we both have time. Both sides have time to figure this one out.”
Porter, 28, will surely have his name come up in rumors before the trade deadline.
But the forward — on a $40.8 million expiring deal — can extend at any point this season.
While Porter was never going to get the full four years, $234 million he’s eligible for, how much will he and agent Mark Bartelstein demand?
“I have a great agent and I know him and Sean, they’ve been speaking some. But for me, I’m just excited to play basketball,” Porter said. “I never was a dude who played for a big contract or for the money. So for me, I’m just excited to play with these guys and be in Brooklyn and build this organization as one of the leaders.
“I’ve voiced that I’d love to be in Brooklyn and that I’m enjoying playing with these guys. And I think we’ll be a lot better this year, obviously. … The way these young guys have gotten better just in one year, I’m excited to see what we can do. So that’s where my mind is at and I’m not even thinking about anything else.”
Porter averaged 25.6 points on 48.2 percent shooting and 39.8 percent from deep through January, but took his foot off the gas after getting snubbed for the All-Star Game and fell off to 20.5 points on 40.9 percent shooting (including 25.6 from 3) in his last 14 appearances.
For him, consistency is the key.
“For Mike to come in here, to own that opportunity that he had, have a great year, for us we’re looking for consistency from him,” Marks said. “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 [with] the intangibles. That’s important for us in the locker room.
“Not just Mike — this goes for all the guys, specifically the guys who are a little older, who’ve seen it, been around. What’s their leadership look like? Can they take another step in that category? And Mike knows that. We’re expecting big things from not only himself and Moe [Wagner], and Keon [Ellis] and Julius [Randle]. … We’re asking them to lead by example, both o
