NBA star Kevin Porter Jr. traded and released after domestic violence arrest
NBA star Kevin Porter Jr. is set to become a free agent after accusations emerged that he had attacked his girlfriend in a hotel in New York following a night out.
The Houston Rockets are trading the 23-year-old to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who plan to waive the point guard in due course. According to ESPN, Porter will still be paid $16.86 million by the Thunder, with his contract for this season fully guaranteed.
The Thunder will acquire a second-round pick in 2027 from the Minnesota Timberwolves and another from the Milwaukee Bucks in 2028 as part of the deal. As for the Rockets, they will gain Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the trade.
On top of this, a further $1 million is guaranteed for 2024-25, despite him being without a team now for the first time in his four-year NBA career. His release comes after the Rockets ordered him to stay away from all activities related to the team following his arrest on September 11.
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Porter was accused of beating his partner, ex- WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, during their stay at the Millennium Hilton New York Hotel. It was alleged that the pair had been out, with Gondrezick having returned early and Porter returning to find the door to their room locked.
The NBA star would allegedly eventually gain access to the room before an alleged altercation took place, with his girlfriend left needing hospital treatment, according to NBC New York. Their report contends that she was left with "at least one broken bone and bruising" in the incident.
Porter did appear in court on Monday, where a Manhattan assistant district attorney told the judge that the evidence was "insufficient" to charge him with second-degree assault. They said: "What initially appeared to be a fractured vertebrae was not in fact an injury caused by the defendant."
Kevin Porter Jr is alleged to have assaulted his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick at a New York hotel (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)The former Rockets player is set to appear in front of the court again on November 27 and he still faces charges of second-degree strangulation and third-degree assault. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone had previously called the allegations against Porter "deeply troubling."
He said: "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. This is now a league matter, and that's where it's at."
Previously, a statement released by the Rockets read that they were "in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter'. The NBA echoed this by adding that they too were 'in the process of gathering more information."
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