A few hours after Kevin Porter Jr. was cleared of the assault charge, the Houston Rockets traded the troubled guard to the Oklahoma City Thunders.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first shared the news on X, stating “The Houston Rockets are trading G Kevin Porter Jr., and two future second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder — who are waiving Porter Jr., immediately. Thunder are sending the Rockets Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the transaction.”
ESPN Sources: The Houston Rockets are trading G Kevin Porter Jr., and two future second-round picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder — who are waiving Porter Jr., immediately. Thunder are sending the Rockets Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the transaction. pic.twitter.com/PBaHA0f5lW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2023
In return for Porter Jr., Houston picks 2027 and 2028 via the Wolves and Minnesota, respectively, the team will get guard Oladipo and forward Robinson-Earl.
Oladipo back to Rockets
31-year old Oladipo has already played for the Rockets, making 20 starts during the 2020–21 season while averaging 21.2 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Houston native Bradeux of the The Bradeaux & Will Show welcomed Oladipo back to Rockets, posting on X, “Welcome back to Houston, Victor Oladipo 🤝”
Welcome back to Houston, Victor Oladipo 🤝 pic.twitter.com/jha0HrEaiL
— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) October 17, 2023
Oladipo will now enter his 11th season in NBA.
Robinson-Earl to Rockets
On the other hand, the Thunder acquired Villanova guard Robinson-Earl from the New York Knicks in 2021 with the No. 32 overall pick. The 22-year-old had a fantastic rookie season, but his second-year difficulties and injuries raised many concerns about his future with the Thunder. He scored 6.8 points per game on average last season and 4.2 points per game with one assist.
Media Day: Porter Jr barred from Rockets
At the Houston Rockets’ media day earlier this month, General Manager Stone informed the media that Porter had been barred from participation in the team. Stone noted that the allegations against Porter were concerning, and that they had informed Porter’s representatives of their decision.
“The allegations against him are deeply troubling,” Houston Rockets GM Stone said on media day. “Going back a few weeks, as soon as I heard the allegations, I informed his representatives that he could not be part of the Houston Rockets. He has not been with the team or around it since that time.”
Porter Jr’s bleak future
Despite having been dealt to the Thunder, it appears that they have little interest in keeping the troubled guard and are just interested in the two draft picks, adding yet another pair to their future roster. The franchise currently possesses a total of 37 picks for the next seven years—15 first-round picks and 22 second-round picks, as per CBS sports.
As they release Porter, he will be compensated with the $16.9 million guaranteed that is still part of the contract.
With the major possibility of being a free agent in the near future, there’s no guarantee that any team would want the guard considering his turbulent record.
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