Michael Porter Jr. has earned more money before turning 30 than most people will see in several lifetimes. Yet despite an NBA championship, a max contract and a fortune estimated at roughly $40 million, the newest Brooklyn Nets forward insists he still doesn’t see himself as rich.
Money Matters
Speaking on “The Journey Podcast with Curious Mike” on July 27, Porter opened up about his relationship with money, explaining that growing up without much has shaped the way he views wealth today.
For many NBA players, chartering a private jet, buying luxury cars and collecting expensive jewelry are simply part of the lifestyle that comes with multimillion-dollar contracts. Porter sees those purchases differently. Before spending money on himself, he often thinks about how that same amount could help someone in his family or community.
“I don’t really fly private that much,” Porter said. “A lot of guys in my position only fly private. I have a hard time justifying spending $40,000 or $50,000 on a flight from New York to Missouri or New York to L.A.”
While he admitted he’ll occasionally book a private jet when traveling with family or friends, he said those moments are the exception, not the rule.
“I could do so much with that $40,000,” he explained. “I could change my uncle’s life.”
Selected 14th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2018 NBA draft, he signed a four-year rookie contract worth just over $15 million before developing into one of the league’s premier young scorers. Denver rewarded that growth in 2021 with a five-year contract worth approximately $179.3 million, a deal that carries an average annual salary of nearly $35.9 million, according to Spotrac.
During the upcoming 2026-27 season alone, Porter is scheduled to earn more than $40.8 million.
Including his rookie contract and current extension, Porter has already earned more than $153.5 million in NBA salary, a total that does not include endorsement deals or other income.
His estimated net worth now sits at roughly $40 million.
“I have so many people who rely on me and ask me for help that I have a hard time doing a lot of things for myself,” he said. “I spend a lot of money on other people. I don’t really spend a whole lot of money on myself.”
He added that designer jewelry and luxury vehicles simply don’t excite him the way they might other athletes because he constantly thinks about putting his money toward something more meaningful.
Perhaps the most relatable example came when Porter talked about something as simple as getting a haircut.
Even though he earns more in a single game than many Americans make in a year, paying $250 or $300 for a lineup still feels strange because he remembers when a haircut cost only $20.
“It’s still weird to me,” Porter admitted. “I still don’t view myself as rich.”
Adding, “It’s just weird sometimes to use your money that way. Three hundred dollars to get a lineup.”
As Porter begins a new chapter with the Brooklyn Nets after helping Denver win its first NBA championship in franchise history, expectations remain high for the 28-year-old forward. Brooklyn hopes he can become one of the faces of its rebuild and potentially earn the first All-Star selection of his career.
Whether another All-Star nod or another massive contract eventually arrives, Porter appears determined not to let money define him. On paper, he is one of basketball’s wealthiest young stars. In his own mind, however, he is still the kid who remembers a $20 haircut and wonders whether every dollar could make someone else’s life a little better.
