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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Kevin Porter Jr. said goodbye Friday night.
Porter’s heartfelt post on social media came hours after the Cleveland Cavaliers-Houston Rockets trade went official.
“Cleveland, thank you for giving me a chance to change not only my life but my family’s too, and for believing in me,” Porter wrote, accompanied by a photo of him inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. before one of the Cavaliers’ games last season. . “For the beloved city, the fans, my brothers whom I have won, the coaching staff and the whole organization, I appreciate you and I will never take the relationships we have for granted.
“Everything we shared together was real and it will always be love (forever). Thank you for being there and welcoming me as a family every step of the way. Make a Seattle youth feel at home in Ohio. Forever grateful for the moments we have created and good luck everyone! For myself, I will always be grateful for this and now I look forward to the next chapter of my journey. Always love.”
There was collective fatigue to dealing with Porter, who was once seen as a potential cornerstone of the franchise and had missed every game this season for personal reasons.
The Cavs sent Porter struggling to Houston in exchange for a future second-round pick who sources say is protected in the Top 55. Due to the protection, the Cavs are unlikely to ever use him. The deal amounts to a pay cut, with the Cavs dropping Porter’s guaranteed salary this season and the next while clearing a spot on the roster, giving them the option to add another play at some point.
“After careful and thoughtful evaluation, we have made the very difficult and collective decision to do this business,” said Managing Director Koby Altman. “Given the culture and environment we have worked to cultivate here in Cleveland, we believe this decision is in everyone’s best interest. Kevin has a brilliant career ahead of him as a professional basketball player and, deep down, is a good person. We wish Kevin and his family the best of luck in Houston.
The two teams made the deal on Thursday night, less than a week after Porter’s explosion in the Cleveland locker room that became the tipping point.
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.
Porter was absent from the squad during training camp, but the Cavs have always tried to make him work, setting individual goals for him as part of an undisclosed reintegration plan. The Cavs took another step in that direction last week, allowing Porter to train for the first time and then join his teammates on the bench in Friday’s win over New York.
It was his last unofficial night in Cleveland. Porter became enraged after the team gave their record to newly acquired forward Taurean Prince. Altman walked in and tried to talk about the problem. But Porter didn’t want to calm down. Food was thrown away. Tensions mounted. The verbal exchange between Porter and Altman was “uncomfortable for everyone,” said a source who witnessed it.
Jan. 15 was the culmination of too many mistakes, including disrespect from teammates and staff. The front office determined that a trade was better than releasing it outright.
Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff has personally worked with Porter over the past year. Bickerstaff, who has said on several occasions how much they take care of people, looking after their players beyond basketball, addressed the situation earlier this week.
“We all want to see Kevin succeed, and I still feel it,” Bickerstaff said. “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.
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