Houston Rockets player Kevin Porter Jr. is leaving the team. Adrian Wojnarowski says the fifth-year guard has been dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return for Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Houston is sending two future draft picks along with Porter.
Porter will not stay with Oklahoma City because the Thunder will waive him right away and pay the last $16.9 million on his deal. After an argument with his lover, the 23-year-old is being charged with assault, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to play in an NBA game again.
During their rebuilding phase, the Rockets added Fred VanVleet, a point guard who used to play for the Toronto Raptors, and then picked Amen Thompson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to give their backcourt more strength before the 2023–24 season. With this deal, they can cut ties with Porter and get assets to help them move forward after a lousy season in 2022–23.
What about the Thunder? They have one of the most potential young cores in the NBA and could make a run at the playoffs this year. In the past few years, they’ve made it a habit to get necessary draft capital, and they’re still getting richer. For the next seven years, Oklahoma City will own 37 picks.
