Houston Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. has been charged with felony assault and strangulation after an incident that left his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, with a broken vertebrae in her neck.
A spokesperson for NYPD provided a detailed assessment of the case, which may be too upsetting for some readers. The NBA has opened an investigation into Porter and the Rockets are "keeping all options open" with regard to the 23-year-old's playing future.
One potential "option" is a trade, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Rockets have reached out to multiple teams offering draft capital to offload Porter's contract. He is due $15.8 million next season before his contract becomes non-guaranteed for the next three years.
Houston Rockets try (probably in vain) to trade Kevin Porter Jr. amid assault charges
This feels like an improbable solution for the Rockets, who will probably end up cutting Porter Jr. The result of the NBA's internal investigation will inform Houston's handling of the matter. Unfortunately, Porter is not the first NBA player to be charged with a violent crime. We have seen the league overlook improper acts in favor of profit and production before. We cannot rule out Porter continuing his career, even if he is found guilty in a court of law.
Porter averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on .442/.366/.784 splits last season. He has been a productive member of the Rockets' young core, but frankly, that does not matter. Or at least, it should not matter. As the facts emerge, Houston should handle this without moral ambivalence. That's not generally how the league works, but it's how the league should work.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement to The Athletic.
"The allegations here are horrific. No question about it. But I don't know anything more about the actual facts other than those allegations. We're still now in the process of gathering information."
Any team that trades for Porter is essentially trading for an expiring contract that is expected to be immediately waived. The Rockets are in crisis control mode and looking to get out from under a sinking anchor.
There is no good or acceptable outcome here, but this is where the matter stands.