Kevin Porter Jr. Assigned to Rockets' G League Team After Cavaliers Trade
The Houston Rockets are assigning Kevin Porter Jr. to the G League after acquiring him from the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month, as noted by ESPN's Tim MacMahon:
A first-round pick in 2019, Porter hasn't played this season. A single-car crash in Ohio in November led to a charge for improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle, though a grand jury declined to indict him on the felony charge.
Per MacMahon, Houston will take a patient approach with the USC product.
This year's G League will be played in a "bubble" environment on the Disney World campus in Orlando, Florida, much like the NBA's bubble last summer to complete the 2019-20 season.
According to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Porter practiced with Houston on Wednesday, though the team had not developed a plan for his return to the floor.
Head coach Stephen Silas said earlier this week:
"We're still kind of trying to work through that. He's been here and he's been great, he's been attentive.
"We've been doing individual stuff with him as well as today, he joined the team stuff. We're just integrating him slowly. We're coming up with a plan that makes sense for him and for the team. He hasn't played in a while. He's kind of just learning. He's a young kid, but he's very talented. When he first got here, we had to make sure that we're really, really smart about the structure we have put in place for him on and off the floor."
Porter will get an opportunity to prove himself in the G League where he's likely to be the focal point for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers when the season tips off Feb. 10.
The Vipers have helped produce a number of NBA players, such as Clint Capela, Garrett Temple, Monte Morris and Montrezl Harrell.
Porter could be the next player the program turns into an NBA mainstay if all goes according to plan.
