Michael Porter Jr. Says He Split Rent with Ex-Girlfriend During His $200 Million NBA Contract

Michael Porter Jr. revealed that he won’t foot every bill in his relationships.

The Brooklyn Nets forward, 27, appeared on the Tuesday, Sept. 23, episode of Respectfully The Justin Laboy Show and said that he chose to split rent with his ex-girlfriend because he wanted to know if the women he dates are “here for the right intention.” 

Laboy retorted, “Hold on. I know you not worth $200 million and was splitting rent with your ex-girlfriend.” 

In 2021, Porter signed a five-year, $179.3 million extension with the Denver Nuggets. The deal also included performance-based incentives that could increase the total to $207 million, Porter’s agent told ESPN. The Nets assumed the contract when they acquired him in a June 2025 trade. His salary will be $38.3 million for the 2025–26 season, and it is expected to increase to $40.8 million for the following season, per ESPN.

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“It’s very hard when you have money to tell a woman’s intentions,” Porter began to explain. 

“I had never bought a girl expensive gifts before this last girl — and it was cool to do,” he said. “But I still wanted to know that she was with me for the right reasons. Every dude in this particular person’s past had money. So I never wanted to feel like a girl was just with me because of what I have.”

Porter then recalled how the former couple found themselves in the situation. Noting that he won’t live with someone until he’s married. He said his ex-girlfriend was apartment hunting and found a place she wanted, but it was double her price range.

He explained that at the time, he told her he wanted her to stay there, and whatever amount she couldn’t pay, he would pay the difference. 

Ported added that when he proposed that, he also said he would cover the rent for a year, even if their relationship came to an end. The couple broke up five or six months later, and now he’s asking himself, “Do I keep helping her out or is it cooked?”

Since their breakup, Porter said that she reached out, “asking for the bread.” 

“I don’t blame her because she went into that apartment not being able to afford it, and I gave her my word,” he said.

But Laboy asked, “So, why you just don’t send her her half for the rest of the year?” 

“Because she needs to act right month to month,” Porter replied. “I’m just saying. So, if I’m paying the remaining months… and I see she’s wilding. Like, bro, it’s going to be hard to continue that agreement. That’s going to be tough because if you’re out here wilding, get that next dude to pay that rent.”