The Houston Rockets are exploring trade options for shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr., who was charged with felony assault and strangulation charges earlier this week. Porter is being accused of attacking his girlfriend in a New York City hotel Monday, fracturing a vertebra in her neck and cutting her face above the right eye.
Porter was released from police custody on Tuesday on $75,000 bond and will have to return to court in New York on Oct. 16. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that the league had opened an investigation into Porter’s actions in order to determine if he can play through court proceedings.
“The allegations here are horrific, no question about it,” Silver said. “But I don’t know anything more about the actual facts, other than reading those allegations. We’re not in season. … We have a bit of time to decide whether it would be appropriate for him to go to training camp or not.”
According to The Athletic, the Rockets have contacted several teams for a trade involving Porter, offering draft compensation in return. Houston has prepared for a very competitive 2023-24 season and seems to be trading Porter away for a player who can contribute immediately. Porter is not expected to join the team in training camp in October.
It could be extremely difficult for the Rockets to trade away Porter because of the issues facing him beyond the basketball court. The guard was very effective last season, scoring 19.2 points per game, but it will be difficult to convince a team to take a player facing felony charges.
Porter signed a contract extension with the Rockets last October and is scheduled to receive $15.86 million for the next four years. A suspension or ban from competition, as well as prison time if he is convicted, would likely nullify most of the money Houston or any other NBA team would have to pay him as part of this deal.
