The Rockets are looking to trade guard Kevin Porter Jr. following his arrest for assault over the weekend, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
While odds are long that Houston will be able to pull off a deal until the case is resolved, the front office apparently is determined to at least try.
Per Charania, the Rockets have are “keeping all options open” and have contacted multiple teams about a Porter trade and are offering draft picks as incentive. Others, however, are likely extremely hesitant to make such a deal, given the “optics” of acquiring Porter, Charania added.
That said, some teams may be willing to take on Porter’s $15.9 million salary for the purpose of immediately waiving him and shedding salary.
Given the accusations, Porter’s NBA career could be over, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“There’s no question, Kevin Porter‘s future, not just with the Rockets, but in the NBA, is very much in peril,” Wojnarowski said during an appearance on the NBA on ESPN. “These are extremely serious allegations.”
Porter was arrested over the weekend on charges of assault and strangulation following a 911 call from a New York hotel that took place just before 7 a.m. locally.
“Upon arrival officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck,” a New York Police Department spokesperson said. “A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around her neck.”
The woman was reportedly taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
Per Aaron Katersky of ABC 7 New York, Porter arrived at a Times Square hotel in the early hours of a night out on the town. His girlfriend, reportedly a WNBA player, wouldn’t let him into the room — but Porter was able to enter with the help of security. Police sources told Katersky the assault occurred shortly after Porter gained entrance.
This is not Porter’s first run-in with the law, as he was arrested following a traffic incident while a member of the Cavaliers 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, 23, appeared in 59 games last season with Houston, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds.
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