Following a unanimous agreement, Kevin Porter Jr.’s tenure with the Houston Rockets has ended. On Tuesday, the team agreed to exchange him along with two second-round draft selections to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder announced the transaction on the very same day and clarified that Porter, whose NBA future hangs in the balance due to significant legal concerns, would be immediately waived. In exchange, the Thunder sent Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Houston, further intensifying the deal’s stakes.
This season, Porter made almost $15.9 million, with an additional $1 million guaranteed for the forthcoming season. However, following his arrest on domestic violence charges last month, the Rockets asserted that he was effectively banned from the team.
The arrest followed an alleged altercation with his girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, in a New York City hotel room on September 11. Recent reports suggest that one assault charge against Porter has been withdrawn due to insufficient evidence. However, he still confronts a strangulation charge and another assault charge tied to the alleged incident. These allegations, to which he has pleaded not guilty, continue to shadow his career.
Unnerved by the charges, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone expressed his deep concern earlier this month, stating, “The allegations against him are deeply troubling.” He further noted, “Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets.”
As for Oladipo, his return from a patellar tendon tear sustained in last season’s playoffs with Miami still hangs in uncertainty, with no definitive timeline in place. Despite these challenges, both teams will continue to adapt in preparation for the new season, demonstrating the ever-evolving nature of professional basketball.
