The Cleveland Cavs are officially moving on from Kevin Porter Jr. The controversial 2nd-year man will be traded to the Houston Rockets, per reports from The Athletic's Shams Charania.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are finalizing a trade to send Kevin Porter Jr. to the Houston Rockets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 22, 2021
This concludes Porter Jr.'s tumultuous tenure in Cleveland. The promising sophomore has had a few controversial moments that escalated in recent weeks with reports of clashes with the front office. The Rockets were willing to take a chance on him.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has indicated that the Cavaliers would obtain a future protected second-round pick from the Rockets in exchange for Porter's rights; however, neither side has clarified the exact protections around the pick.
Porter's trade to the Rockets comes less than two years after the Cavaliers sent four second-round draft picks to the Detroit Pistons for the opportunity to draft the guard 30th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. Seen as a prospect with an incredibly high ceiling thanks to his tremendous athletic ability, Porter had nearly fallen out of the first round thanks to a series of off-the-court concerns he experienced during his lone year at USC. However, with Cleveland struggling for relevance amid a rebuilding effort, general manager Koby Altman decided to draft the wing player hoping that the Cavaliers could provide a stable environment while benefitting from his talent.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, Porter was rarely on the court long enough to make good on their gamble. The Rockets will see if they can turn his career around.
While he averaged just over 10 points in 50 games during his rookie campaign, Kevin Porter Jr. was involved in a car crash in November in which he flipped his car and admitted to drinking before the incident. Despite this, Cleveland eventually picked up his contract option. The tipping point came three days ago when Porter caused an outburst in the Cavaliers locker room. The Rockets know this but feel they can provide a nurturing environment.
Though the Cavs will not recoup the heavy price they paid to draft Kevin Porter Jr. in the first place, trading him to the Rockets allows both sides to start anew.
Follow Us
Subscribe