Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested in New York City on Monday for assault and strangulation following an alleged incident with his girlfriend. Both charges are felonies, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
While Rockets general manager Rafael Stone previously declined to comment, both the team and the NBA later released statements acknowledging the incident.
“We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.,” the Rockets said, per MacMahon. “We have no further comment at this time.”
The NBA’s statement, which was through spokesperson Mike Bass, was quite similar.
“The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”
ESPN’s Bobby Marks doesn’t expect the league to take any discipline against the 23-year-old guard until a full investigation has been completed (Twitter link).
That’s what happened with Hornets forward Miles Bridges, who remained unsigned all of last season following felony domestic abuse charges — he pleaded no contest and later received a 30-game suspension once the league’s investigation concluded. Twenty games of that suspension were applied retroactively, so Bridges will be inactive for the first 10 games of ’23/24.
Bridges’ situation was different than Porter’s because he wasn’t under contract last season — Porter has a guaranteed $15.86MM salary for ’23/24.
As Marks notes, Houston could tell Porter to stay away from the team in the short term. The NBA technically has the power to void his contract as well, Marks adds, though that seems unlikely to occur, particularly in the near future.
The incident will be a tricky one to navigate for the Rockets, because Porter’s extension is uniquely structured due to his prior off-court incidents.
According to Marks, Porter’s $1MM partial guarantee for ’24/25 will increase to $3MM if he isn’t waived by the first day of the upcoming regular season. It will increase from $3MM to $6MM if he isn’t released five days after the trade deadline.
June 30, 2024, is a huge date to watch as far as Porter’s contract goes, per Marks. If he isn’t waived by that date, his full $15.86MM salary for ’24/25 will become guaranteed, as will his identical cap hit for ’25/26. The final year of Porter’s contract, which is a team option, will become guaranteed if he isn’t waived by June 30, 2025.
2 years later and we still don’t know what was in the locker…
Pepperidge farms remembers.
Well, he should be in jail for one. In New York, all domestic violence is the n the slammer.he should be fined and suspended by the league and by the Rockets. If they hold onto him, I am going to bite my tongue. Everyone deserves a second chance
I bit my tongue after the Cleveland locker room incident got him traded. I held my tongue when he and wood left a game at HT after locker room drama.
If they let it lie it spits in the face of this whole “we’re trying to change the culture” mantra. This is beyond 2nd chances. He’s had 4 “2nd chances” already let alone this one. I thought he had grown a lot this year and was becoming a good kid, this isn’t a one off it’s too many issues. They should cut him, Take the hit this season on salary, let him get his head right and rebuild his rep elsewhere once his suspension is up.
When keeping it real goes wrong.
brrrrrrrrrrrrr
SMH what is wrong with these athletes beating their women? If they make you that angry leave them. If some women makes you that mad walk away and never talk to them again.
@ARC 2 there seems to be a common pattern here wether its the NFL, NBA, or MLB. Can’t quite put my finger on it though
Usually they are raised in a family of women beaters. So they react like their dad did to their mom. Why women need to leave any man that hits her.
Not the case with Porter. His father died and so wasn’t beating anybody
Mom’s boyfriend.
I agree. Watching New Yorkers swear at their children and threatening them, I can see how it starts and the pattern doesn’t stop
Shoot, Steal,Run:
There’s more men who ARENT professional athletes that physically abuse women than there are pro ball players that do it.
Good try.
Is shooting stealing and running how you make your living? I see your point and all I can say is Trevor Bauer, Mark Chmura, Rodions Kurucs, Tonya Harding , Sam Dyson, Steven Wright , Johnny Manziel, Aaron Hernandez, Oscar Pistorius, Dany Heatley, Craig McTavish, Jim Mahady and last but not least Marty Bergen. All of them are white people like me. Unlike me all of them were arrested for either domestic violence or murder . The final 6 all committed murder. Stupid and evil behavior doesn’t happen because of the perpetrator’s skin color. It happens because of a lack of self control. That is what you exhibited by making your little post. I think most people can read between the lines and know what you meant. I am only sad that some of them agree with you.
No discipline and no repercussions…
This isn’t isolated to athletes. It’s a problem across society. Except when some random dude hits a woman it doesn’t make the news.
Also has to do with society covered up women beatings 50 years ago. Watch old movies it was OK to smack a women.
This is what the NBA gets for allowing Bridges back in…
If guilt is admitted by Porter Jr the same way the NBA needs to grow some teeth with it’s discipline…
The egos and ugliness of jock culture need repercussions to be kept in line…
Porter grew up without a father to teach him how to discipline himself. So now he will be disciplined by the legal process. But when the system is done with him his talent will get him another chance. The NBA doesn’t care if you’re a rapist as long as you can perform and sell the product.
Don’t use the fatherless excuse on this trash person. There’s plenty of people that grow up without a father, mother, or both parents even and not all of those people are nuts and violent.
Wasted talent …….
Rockets need to just cut him loose now. His money is not guaranteed. Go to UFC … let’s see who you really are ….
Sad to see.The locker room incident 2 years ago was provoked by management and completely unnecessary. There was no reason to move his locker without telling him. That said something was bound to go wrong over time. This incident shows that.I don’t know what happened between him and his girlfriend other than what the charges imply. Still it is clear the man has difficulty with self control when angry. After he is punished both legally and by the league I have no problem with him returning to his job. He is more likely to recover if he is working than if he is not. That said that return could take place years from now. He is likely to be jailed for a couple years and then serve a 1 year suspension on his return. He will have serious consequences for his actions. Perhaps with therapy and medication he will return in 3 to 5 years a changed man. Today all he can do is face the consequences and make up his mind to change.
Trade him to the Hornets
Has he posted bail yet …..
Reports just came out that Kysre Gondrezick suffered a fractured vertebrae in her neck… not sure he wants to toss 100k on bail at the moment. Think things are about to go very south for him financially
2023-24 1st Team All-Prison
Ja Morant
KPJ
Miles Bridges
Trez Harrell
Jaxson Hayes
Who is the sixth man and the coach?
Just read the arrest report. This guy is finished in the NBA. My first hope is the victim fully recovers from her injuries and obtains some restitution, my second is that this thug spends some time in a jail cell, and my third is that the Rockets are allowed to fully void his contract so they can move past this debacle and he realizes the full impact of his despicable actions.