Kevin Porter Jr. to Cavaliers: Cleveland's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected USC Trojans freshman guard Kevin Porter Jr. with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft Thursday at the Barclays Center in New York City.
Here is a look at how the Cavs' roster looks after the selection.
Check out B/R NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman’s scouting profile on Porter Jr.
Ante Zizic, C: $2M (2021)
Brandon Knight, PG: $14M (2020)
Cedi Osman, SF: $2.8M (2020)
Collin Sexton, PG: $4.4M (2022)
JR Smith, SG: $14.3M (2020)
John Henson, PF: $12M (2020)
Jordan Clarkson, PG: $12.5M (2020)
Kevin Love, C: $30.1M (2023)
Larry Nance Jr., PF: $11.2M (2023)
Matthew Dellavedova, PG: $9.6M (2020)
Tristan Thompson, C: $16.4M (2020)
Darius Garland: $5.6M (2023)
Dylan Windler: $1.8M (2023)
Kevin Porter Jr.: $1.7M (2023)
David Nwaba, SG: RFA
Deng Adel, SF: RFA
Jalen Jones, SF: RFA
Jaron Blossomgame, SF: RFA
Marquese Chriss, PF: UFA
Nik Stauskas, SG: UFA
Porter averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 21 appearances (four starts) during a mostly underwhelming freshman campaign for the Trojans.
The 19-year-old Seattle native missed six weeks of action from early December through mid-January because of a thigh injury. He returned for one game before he sat out the next two contests because of a suspension for a "conduct issue."
His absences were a key reason his hyped arrival to college basketball failed to live up to expectations. He committed to USC as a 5-star prospect and the No. 28 overall player in the 2018 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.
In February, the Rainier Beach High School (Washington) standout said he was still playing at less than 100 percent, and the lingering nature of his injury forced him to miss practice time.
"It gets irritated. When I was out, I had to put pressure on everything else, so a lot of my body is breaking down right now," he told reporters. "It just took a toll on my explosiveness and athleticism. I'm not able to jump as fast or as high as I used to right now. I've just got to adjust, be more crafty and be a playmaker."
Between his injury, suspension and inconsistent production when on the floor, it's tough to fairly evaluate his season with the Trojans.
Porter is still a raw talent, but he said after declaring for the draft he's confident his skill set matches up against anybody in the 2019 class.
"Since I was little, rankings never mattered to me. I just played," he told Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com. "I don't really know who is in the draft, but as far as ranking myself among people, I feel like I am confident in my skill to compete with anybody and everybody."
While Porter will likely slot in as a reserve as a rookie in Cleveland, the Cavs will hope he eventually develops into a major two-way weapon after some seasoning.
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