Kevin Porter Jr. is acquired by Thunder after being waived

Kevin Porter Jr. is acquired by Thunder after being waived

According to sources speaking to ESPN on Tuesday, the Houston Rockets are moving guard Kevin Porter Jr. to the Oklahoma City Thunder along with two future second-round picks, and the Thunder will immediately waive him.

According to insiders, the transaction that will give the Thunder a 2027 second-round selection via the Minnesota Timberwolves & a 2028 second-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks will also include Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for the Rockets.

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In essence, the agreement saves the Rockets $5.5 million in salary while allowing the Thunder to accumulate draft assets and requiring them to pay the remaining guaranteed salary of $16.9 million on Porter’s new four-year contract.

After being detained for allegedly attacking fiancĂ©e and former WNBA star Kysre Gondrezick at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations on September 11 in New York, Porter’s NBA future is seriously in doubt.

The day after Porter’s arraignment, the prosecution initially claimed that the assault left Gondrezick with a fractured neck vertebra as well as a deep cut above her right eye. However, Manhattan prosecutors on Monday dropped one of the assault charges against Porter, admitting that he did not break Gondrezick’s neck during the alleged assault.

The defendant did not actually cause what initially seemed to be a fractured vertebrae, according to Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer, who spoke to Judge Jay Weiner on Monday.

Porter has pleaded not guilty to the accusations against him, which include second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault.

Last season, Porter agreed to a four-year contract deal for up to $82.5 million. However, given Porter’s history of off-court problems, it is only loosely guaranteed.

Porter was selected with the 30th overall choice in the 2019 draft following one season at USC when he was expelled for misbehavior. He joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for his first season, but for personal reasons, he did not return the following year. After yelling at Cavaliers officials, he was traded to the Rockets in January 2021 in exchange for a top-55 protected second-round pick.

Over the next seven years, the Thunder will have accumulated 15 first-round picks and 22 second-round picks. In an off-season deal with the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City acquired Oladipo in exchange for two future second-round draft selections. Oladipo is recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee and has $9.5 million remaining on an expiring contract.

For this season, Robinson-Earl is guaranteed $1.9 million, and the team has a $2 million option for the next season.

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