Clippers Officially Sign Kevin Porter Jr.

The Los Angeles Clippers have officially signed guard Kevin Porter Jr., the team announced in a press release.

The deal is for two years, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, though it’s unclear how much Porter is being paid.

Porter spent this past season playing in Greece after being waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was traded to the Thunder from the Houston Rockets following some serious physical abuse allegations.

“After six weeks of strong play in Greece in April and May, Porter had multiple NBA suitors and chose the Clippers,” Charania wrote.

Porter, 24, has been out of the league since his arrest in September following an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, NBA player Kysre Gondrezick. He was originally charged with felony counts of strangulation and assault, though he reached a plea deal in January.

Porter ended up pleading guilty to reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, as well as harassment in the second degree.

In the wake of all this, the Rockets traded Porter to the Thunder, who immediately waived him. 

Nor was that Porter’s first run-in with the law since entering the NBA.

Originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 30 overall pick in 2019, he was immediately traded to the Detroit Pistons, who traded him to the Cavs. His troubles in Cleveland started soon thereafter.

Porter was also arrested following a traffic incident while a member of the Cavs back in 2020. The Cavs traded him to the Rockets after he allegedly yelled at GM/president of basketball operations Koby Altman during a locker room incident. Porter was said to have thrown food at Altman during the ordeal.

Porter is 6-foot-4 and appeared in 59 games in 2022-23 with Houston, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.

He signed a contract extension with the Rockets in October 2022, leaving the Thunder on the hook for $16.9 million of that deal.

PAOK signed Porter in April. He averaged 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.8 blocks in four appearances with the club.