Just this week, both the Houston Rockets and John Wall agreed that the former All-Star is better off someplace else when the upcoming season starts. While Wall’s destination is still unknown as of now, what’s certain is that there’s one guy who’s going to benefit from this move – Kevin Porter Jr.

Now in his third year in the NBA, Porter is potentially on the brink of a breakout season. We take a look below at why this young player is showing a lot of promise, both on the court and in the card market.

A Good Outlook For Kevin Porter Jr. Cards

At one point during his career, a lot of people wrote Porter off for his lack of maturity. It came to a boiling point when the young guard was traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Rockets after a locker room tantrum.

That was too bad because Kevin Porter Jr. showed a lot of potential during his short stint with the Cavs, which led collectors to invest in his rookie cards. Thanks to this development, the market soured on him and his value dropped hard.

But while everyone else looked the other way, Porter made the most out of his situation in Space City. Since there was no spot for him in the main roster, the 30th pick of the 2019 Draft was assigned to the G League, where he played point guard for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Needless to say, Kevin Porter amazed everyone by leading the league in points during his time there. It wasn’t long before the Rockets took notice and called him up. It was during this time Porter exploded and took a leap during his second year in the NBA. By the end of his sophomore campaign, he averaged 16 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in the 26 games he played for H-Town.

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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As his third season is about to start, hopes are high for KPJ to finally break out and become a legitimate star in the league. With Wall on his way out, he is set to become the Rockets’ starting point guard, a role that can propel him to stardom. And with the addition of Jalen Green into a lineup that has Christian Wood, there’s a solid chance Houston will surprise everyone when the NBA kicks off next month.

The Current State of Kevin Porter Jr. Rookie Cards In The Market

While the market slowed down a bit after the NBA Finals, it’s now steadily going up. Proof of this is how Kevin Porter Jr. cards are moving right now. At the start of August, his PSA 10 Prizm Silver rookie card was valued at $295 on eBay. After a month and a half, that price has now climbed up to $360. 

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This upward trend goes to show that collectors are slowly noticing Porter’s potential right even before the season has started. Expect a more robust market on him soon when the new season starts and he gets to play with Green on the court. If things go according to plan, Houston will have a new core to build upon and one that has Porter right in the spotlight.