Cavs To Trade Kevin Porter Jr. To Rockets



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the Riders send second year swingman Kevin Porter Jr. to the Rockets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (via Twitter).

In exchange, the Cavs will receive a future protected second-round pick from Houston, adds ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). ESPN’s Tim MacMahon tweets that the pick is protected among the top 55 and will likely never be transported to Cleveland.

As Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor notes, the primary benefit of the deal for the Cavs is to open up a roster spot and take Porter’s guaranteed rookie salary this season ($ 1.72 million) away. and 2021/22 ($ 1.78 million). . Since Houston can absorb Porter’s salary in a traded player exception, Cleveland won’t have to take a player back into the deal.

After throwing a tantrum in the locker room on January 15 when he discovered his locker had been moved, the Cavaliers asked Porter to clean his locker and expect it to be canceled or redeemed.

Porter, who initially dropped out of the 2019 draft due to problems off the field, has had a difficult second season. In November, he was arrested for mishandling a firearm (a felony), driving without a license and possession of marijuana (both offenses). Last month, a grand jury cleared Porter of all charges.

Porter hasn’t suited up for the Cavaliers at all this season. In a strong rookie outing, however, USC’s 2019 No.30 Draft pick impressed with averages of 10.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 0.9 SPG out of 50. competitions.

The Rockets, now in asset accumulation mode after sending a perennial MVP candidate James harden to the Nets in a four-team trade last week, take a leaflet on a talented player in that deal. Hope, according to Fedor and MacMahon (Twitter link), is this veteran player development coach John Lucas can help Porter resume his track career in Houston.

In order to open roster for Porter, Rockets will relinquish injured guard Chris Clemons, by Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).

Clemons’ minimum wage for 2020/21 was initially not guaranteed, but Houston will be forced to pay it in full after suffering a late-season Achilles tear. The Rockets are in a better position to eat that money after the Harden deal – the team’s salary is now comfortably below the luxury tax line rather than above it, and the club are no longer living up to their standards. rigid ceiling.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this story.



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