Kevin Porter Jr. traded to Houston

Kevin Porter Jr.’s time with the Cleveland Cavaliers is at an end.

As first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Porter Jr. has been traded to the Houston Rockets for a protected future second-round pick. After a reported incident last week where Porter Jr. lashed out at Cavs GM Koby Altman and Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavs decided to trade or release Porter.

Ultimately, per a source, the Cavs got a top-55 protected second-round pick from the Rockets. That pick is likely never to convey, so it’s basically a move to get Porter Jr. off the books. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski also reported the pick protections.

Porter Jr. was the No. 30 overall pick last year out of USC. Cleveland acquired the pick by spending a record $5 million to buy the pick from the Pistons. Porter Jr. then shined as a rookie, averaging 10 points in 23.2 minutes per game.

And then he had two off-court incidents this past year and never played a game for the Cavs during the 2020-21 season. He appeared on his way back last week when he practiced with the team and was on the bench for Cavs-Knicks last Friday pre the incident with Altman and Bickerstaff. The 20-year-old Porter now gets a chance to restart his career with the Rockets.

The Cavs, meanwhile, now have an open roster spot. It’s unclear now if they will use it. They also take just over $2 million off their books for next season, giving them a touch more money to work with.