Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has had quite the journey this season—going from a championship-caliber Denver Nuggets squad to a rebuilding Nets team that has completely unlocked his potential. And after watching his former team get bounced from the playoffs, Porter had some thoughts to share.

"Yes, shouldn't have traded me, man," Porter said during a livestream with streamer N3on, when asked if the Nuggets would have beaten the Minnesota Timberwolves with him still in the lineup. As Nets fans know, Denver sent Porter and a 2032 first-round pick to Brooklyn in exchange for forward Cam Johnson—a move that now looks even more significant given how the playoffs unfolded.

But Porter isn't dwelling on the past. He's fully focused on what's ahead in Brooklyn. "Honestly, I'm living my best life in Brooklyn. Even though we didn't do well this year, I see the future," he said. "We're the youngest team in the league. We got a lot of money to spend. I think we're gonna get a really good player in the draft as well. I think we'll be alright."

And there's good reason for that optimism. Porter, 27, just wrapped up the best season of his eight-year career, averaging 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 36.3% from deep. He nearly earned an All-Star nod, and his growth has been a bright spot in an otherwise rebuilding year for the Nets.

Looking back at Denver's playoff exit, the numbers tell an interesting story. While Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both averaged over 23.7 points per game, they combined to shoot just 40% from the field. Meanwhile, Cam Johnson—the player traded for Porter—put up 14.2 points per game on 50% shooting in that series. The Timberwolves managed to win despite missing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo for parts of the series due to injuries. Could Porter have made the difference? We'll never know for sure, but one thing is clear: Brooklyn is betting big on his future, and he's betting big on Brooklyn.