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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached a deal to send talented but troubled swingman Kevin Porter Jr. to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a future second-round pick, sources told cleveland.com.
The second round is protected among the top 55 and is unlikely to ever transmit, sources say. However, sources say the Rockets will take Porter with one of their trade exceptions, which allows the Cavs to cut Porter’s remaining salary – $ 1.71 million for this year and the guaranteed $ 1.78 million. for 2021-2022 which were part of a contract option. the Cavs exercised last month.
The not-yet-official move also opens up a spot in the roster – and enough flexibility below the luxury tax – for the Cavs to attempt to sign a backup guard while Matthew Dellavedova remains indefinitely sidelined due to ‘a concussion.
Since Friday night’s explosion in the Cavaliers’ locker room, the front office has looked into various business opportunities.
Though disappointed to have to leave Porter, who was the 30th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and once seen as a potential cornerstone of that rebuild, the Cavs were hoping to find a business partner instead of giving him up altogether. They have also looked for good situations and believe the presence of assistant coach John Lucas, who has worked with struggling players before, could help Porter change his life in Houston.
The Cavs can now officially move on and focus on the players who acted as mature pros and were instrumental in a better-than-expected 7-7 start.
“We got it,” a player told cleveland.com on Monday. “It had to happen to maintain our culture. Things are going in the right direction at the moment.
The Cavs believe in Porter’s talent. They have always viewed him, seeing him as one of the most exciting players in last year’s draft and seeing him as a valid risk with the final pick in the first round, paying $ 5 million and dropping four players from second round to acquire it. But the maturity issues, which led him to slip into the draft, continued in Cleveland – and it went well beyond a Nov.15 arrest.
It was a step forward, then a few steps back. He failed to string enough good days in a row and continued to sabotage his own progress. At one point, sources said, Porter was not working to meet the goals the organization set for him outside of court, making it difficult for him to regain their trust. It was also a sign that he hadn’t learned from his mistakes and wasn’t taking the situation as seriously as the team wanted.
From the Cavs’ perspective, there was collective fatigue to deal with with Porter, who won’t have much better chances in the NBA. They never suspended it. They didn’t fine him. They tried to work with him, investing time, energy, effort and resources. The decision to move on, which came shortly after his “little explosion,” as one source described it, was not an easy one. This is the result of many factors, including the lack of respect from staff members and teammates. This locker room explosion has become the tipping point.
“The organization has done everything for him and more,” said a source.
The night Porter joined his teammates and took a positive step towards the return, the youngster got angry and started screaming when he walked into the locker room and realized the team had given his old record to newcomer Taurean Prince, who was acquired in the four-team James Harder trade hit last Wednesday. A source said the decision was based on the seniority and spacing of the NBA to adhere to COVID-19 protocols. As Porter isn’t set to play in the near future and Prince is in the rotation every night, it made more sense to bring Prince closer to his teammates.
This moment of frustration, which included Carrying food, led to general manager Koby Altman coming in to speak with Porter, who didn’t want to calm down. Following this heated confrontation, Porter was asked to clear his locker and exit the building.
“We all want to see Kevin succeed, and I still feel it,” Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff said recently. “So whatever happens in the future for him, I hope only the best for him. And it’s part of our responsibility as coaches to give everyone our maximum and to try to make the most of each situation. I can say we did.
Porter, 20, has yet to play this season due to personal issues. He became frustrated because the team was holding him back. In August 2020, he was charged with punching a woman in the face. In October, Porter posted a black square to his Instagram with the message “Would you ever like to see the end of your time?” This incident led to Cavs officials and teammates reaching out to him, making sure he was okay and offering to help. He was involved in a car crash in November – arrested and charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, failing to control the vehicle and possession of marijuana. All of these charges were dismissed.
After averaging 10 points and 3.2 rebounds as a rookie last year in 23.2 minutes, Porter was seen as a bright spot. Now he’s going to try to jumpstart his career with the Rockets.
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New Cavs Face Masks For Sale: Here’s where you can purchase Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All NBA profits have been donated to charity.
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