The Houston Rockets have told Kevin Porter Jr.’s representatives that the swingman is no longer part of the team.
General manager Rafael Stone on Monday called the domestic violence allegations against Porter “deeply troubling.”
Porter, 23, was arrested after an alleged attack on his girlfriend at a New York City hotel room on Sept. 11.
Former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick sustained a fractured neck vertebra and a cut above her eye, police said.
Porter was not with the Rockets for the team’s media day on Monday.
“The allegations against him are deeply troubling,” Stone said. “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. They understood, and he has not been with the team or around the team or had any interaction with the team since that time, and will not be at media day or in training camp.”
Porter has pleaded not guilty to felony assault and strangulation charges and has a court appearance on Oct. 16.
Stone called the issue a league matter.
“What’s left for the team to do is evaluate the best steps for our organization that remain in compliance with the league domestic violence policy,” he said. “This is now a league matter, and that’s where it’s at.”
Porter averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 59 games (all starts) for the Rockets last season.
He signed a four-year, $82.5 million contract last October and is owed $15.9 million for the upcoming 2023-24 season. However, the deal is structured with only $1 million guaranteed for 2024-25 and none guaranteed in 2025-26, per Spotrac.
Porter has averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 196 career games (146 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2019-20) and the Rockets. He was a first-round pick (30th overall) in 2019.
–Field Level Media
