Cavaliers second-year swingman Kevin Porter Jr., who is expected to be traded or waived soon, was told to clean out his locker after his outburst toward GM Koby Altman and other team officials on Friday, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Porter was incensed when his locker was moved to another location to make room for newcomer Taurean Prince.
The decision to move Porter’s locker spot was based on NBA seniority and spacing to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, Spencer Davies of Basketball News reports. Porter was heard yelling about “modern-day slavery” during the argument with Altman, Davies adds.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t directly address Porter’s status on Monday but strongly hinted the decision to move on from Porter was final, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
“We all want to see Kevin be successful. I still feel that way,” Bickerstaff said. “So whatever it is that happens in the future for him, I hope nothing but the best for him. And it’s part of our responsibility as coaches to give everyone our all and try to make the best of every situation. I can say that we did that.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard feels strongly that Caris LeVert will fully recover from his kidney issue but expects it will be six-to-eight weeks before he can even pick up a basketball again, according to Tony East of Forbes Sports (Twitter links). “We got comfortable with the medical,” he said. “We are getting more comfortable every single day. He’s probably going to have surgery.” The team will know more about LeVert’s timeline in the next seven days, East adds.
- Pistons GM Troy Weaver made more roster moves than any other NBA executive during the abbreviated offseason and he vows to stay bold during the team’s rebuilding process, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. “When I was growing up, I didn’t stick my toe in the pool; I jumped in,” Weaver said. “I sit on the front on the roller coaster with my hands up so I’m not going to come in and be gun-shy. My clip will be empty.”
- Victor Oladipo, traded to the Rockets in the four-team blockbuster that brought James Harden to Brooklyn, bid farewell to Pacers fans in an Instagram post. “I find myself going through a wide range of emotions. But the one emotion or feeling that I keep coming back to is gratitude,” he wrote in part. “I am just extremely grateful right now. … Grateful to still be able to make a living playing the sport I love. Grateful that I still have the opportunity to achieve greatness at the highest level of basketball. But I’m deeply grateful of my time spent in Indiana and in the city of Indianapolis.”
“From the Cavs’ standpoint, there’s a collective fatigue in dealing with it. They never suspended him. They didn’t fine him. They tried working with him, investing time, energy, effort and resources. The decision to move on is a culmination of many things, including disrespecting staff members and teammates, sources say. The locker room blowup on Friday became the tipping point.”
-Chris Fedor
“Modern day slavery” – when you lose your locker while being paid millions to play a game.
the times they are a-changing… ;)
To be fair, he makes 1.7 million before taxes, so he doesn’t make “millions.”
when you say something like that, basically what you’re saying is “shut up and dribble.”
I hope porter gets the help he needs before he flames out of the league…
Also, what’s with people throwing food in Cleveland? Didn’t JR Smith throw soup at a coach a couple years ago.
That 1.7 million is PER YEAR for a multi year deal, so yes he does make millions. But that is immaterial. If he was making $20,000 a year, it would still be better than slavery. It is a slap in the face to everyone that actually experienced slavery to compare this situation to it. This is a spoiled basketball player throwing a tantrum. This is not anywhere in the same galaxy as slavery.
Not to mention agent fees and taxes!
Boom….somebody gets the point I’m trying to make.
@hiflew monetizing and corporatizing college sports is where all this coddling and “athletes are better than you” crap started
Yeah but JR and Kevin are basically the same person on and off the court
but they have different tats. ;)
He through the food because he knew would have traded. Same with arguing with Altman.
Anyone that can get into a shouting match with Kobe Altman is not a stable person. It doesn’t even seem like Altman can even get mad.
The “shut up and dribble” crowd doesn’t want their athletes to have a voice outside of sports. That isn’t this situation. This is pettiness and subordination and just generally demonstrating that he’s a liability as an employee. That’s fireable in any line of work.
I want to know what was in the locker…lowkey sus imo. You don’t get that heated if its just some gym shorts and a pair of Reeboks. Perhaps something incriminating or embarrassing…we may never know because the focus is on his behavior and trading him. I demand answers
Probably a fleshlight
Good guess but we’ll never know because teams know how to use the media to push their agenda. There was even an article referenced here on how teams put out smokescreens. They put a story like this out there so they can release a guy they didn’t want, and Joe sportsfan won’t get mad. Meanwhile no investigation is done into what’s in the locker.
Why does there have to be something suspicious in his locker? Why conclude that there is something bad/illegal/embarrassing in his locker when there is zero evidence of that being an issue. That’s how conspiracies are made. Someone thinks of an alternative possibility to an situation, assumes that it could be the case because the media “won’t” mention that possibility (and also because of distrust of the media), and then misinformation is spread. I know that’s not your intent, but if I were you I would stop trying so hard to find more of a reason for his actions other than the fact that he is immature and has a few mental health issues he needs to work through, which is the cause of him blowing up. Also this isn’t an isolated incident with his problems, so this story him having a tantrum for no reason shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Just looked up a fleshlight and wow if that’s what he had in his locker no wonder they wanted him on the other side of the room.
Its 2020 and I’m woke and people are entitled to love whoever (or whatever) they want but save that business for the hotel room
Seems the isolation is really getting to some of these guys
You made an irrational jump without having any idea.
That said, behaviors seem extreme without more explanation. I’m having no emotion on this. Windler can’t get on the court either, for different reasons.
I mean the kid has been arrested and in an out of trouble since he has arrived in the league. So I wouldn’t call this situation “sus”.
Before that… red flags & incidents made him drop in the draft.
He hadn’t played in a game this season. The team practices at an off-site location. Why would he have had anything in that locker? Quit trying to read more into this than what it was – a player with past emotional issues having another one. To say “modern day slavery” and arguing with your GM, having your coach comment that he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and having the locker you haven’t been using given to a new, more senior player all of whom are people of color doesn’t show rational thinking, let alone throwing food or anything else.
Meanwhile Victor Oladepo…”I’m grateful. I’m grateful I asked to get the hell out of indiana and someone took me up on it. Thanks, you guys “
no,he’ll only be grateful if his next contract is over 30 million a year. ;)
It’s a great opportunity for him. Houston’s loaded with young talent.
and it’s his contract year so he should put it all on the line. if he’s healthy.
as you’ve said if houston, can get healthy and get in a situation where are all their players could play on game days.
it could get interesting in h-town. :)
Young talent like PJ Tucker? Or the youngsters are Wall and Cousins?
Young talent because they only got salary & picks back for Harden, not nearly what Fertita and fans wanted. Well KPJ is now available.
im pretty sure da harden trade wus da last straw for him after dealing with personal issues. with prince and allen in town, its unlikely porter will even get mins if hes actually availiable. could trade him for a SG
Slavery? … aren’t Bickerstaff and Altman … Black?
he did say modern day slavery. ;)
Slavery is not limited to one race. Slavery actually has very little to do with race. People from every race have been slaves on this planet throughout history.
It is particularly offensive, as it has historically significant allusions and implications in the United States, when you accuse an African American of being complicit to slavery.
That did not happen, so I wonder why you choose to be offended. Feeling a need to get ramped up? Maybe there was a deleted post.
u mean indentured servants? well yes, many people of different races have been slaves particulary people of color
Africans owned slaves also
cuz they were prisoners of war thats why. and at least they got paid and treated better unlike europeans who abused them and treated africans like property and never paid them
If you haven’t done so already read the article “Cavs hoping for the best for Porter but believed moving on needed to happen for sake of culture” it will help you understand where the Cavs are coming from.
6 months ago, the Cavs were enamoured with Porter Jr, and probably thinking of dealing Sexton to increase his role. Now hes gone Kyrie. Might be something in the water.
It was worth the risk because he has talent. Look who the Warriors draft at 30.., Jacob Evans and Jordan Poole. Enough said.
Good riddance. Dude needs a shrink. He’s not useful to a team until he gets on top of whatever is going on with him.
He’s 20 and completely unprepared for everything coming his way. He should be in school, or at least a training program of some sort, not have a season in the NBA under his belt already and trying to wrap his mind around what mark he’s going to leave on the league. Not the first kid to have a case that sounds like this and not the last.
This pissed me off because he has good defensive instincts and had all the makings of a 3 and D guard but had playmaking qualities too. He also seemed to be a guy that could become an efficient player. A 45, 85, 38 type of guy. I considered him as underrated as Sexton. I wanted to see a line up of Sexton, Okoro, Porter Jr., Nance and Allen.. I like guys whose nature is to compete even if it comes with other attributes lacking.
He was to me as untouchable as Sexton as a player.
Hope whatever is going on with him gets better.
On a side note, he has some serious allegations facing him and him leaving Cleveland might be good. Nearly all street violence in the city is revenge get back violence not heat of the moment stuff. He mite be in more trouble than is being explained if that was a female with a angry family.
Agree. But he might take until his 4th city or so to figure it out. He will need more patience than Dion could muster!
Be messed up if this is the end. He’s got two yrs guaranteed. He better wake up. It’s a nice career he’s messing with. Young man what is wrong.
If he was another 5-6 years older he would be under a lot of pressure. He’s got time to seek better guidance and development, if he will only accept it. The Cavs were counting on this being a possibility but perhaps organizational need for production got in the way of taking things slower for him. It’s often a problem when basketball talent exceeds other abilities to be a professional.
KPJ is remarkably fearless… probably to a fault. At some point, for safety, one should come up short. When the situation called for it, he operated in the paint seemingly with a lack of hindrance despite being so skinny and relatively short. He reminded me of Wiggins.
And Mcl. Jackson is not the best NBA role model.
I think his frame is good for adding weight naturally later on. He his skinny but wiry strong. He could have added 5 lbs a year for the next 3 years and became a really really good NBA player.
I mean any one who knows growing up hard should grasp the fact that especially when you are black you have to show better than you can tell them. Yes losing relatives are tough especially at a young age, but when you have an opportunity you cannot blow it… Hope Porter Jr gets his head right for whichever team will take a chance on him next…
In what way did Porter Jr grow up “hard”? His father became wealthy playing in the NBA. And when you are black you have to show better than you can tell them.
Oh really? What is the percentage of black players in the NBA and who are the players with the biggest salaries? This claim is tired, lame 60’s thinking. It’s the 21st Century man, get with it.
There are more black players because… I don’t know maybe black guys are better ballers??? But that’s something most racists couldn’t fathom for any sport, since the 60s… Get with what??? I can speak for myself, have you ever had to prove yourself???
Kevin Porter Jr in the G League playing point guard (because deep down thats his natural position) would average 25, 10 and 10
All you gotta do to keep getting your rookie contract picked up is show up and show potential. Literally bout to go down the rabbit hole of G-League and Euro Life.
Is Kevin Django porter jr the next Kyrie ?