Domestic assault is a massive problem. It is much larger than the NBA. This is a trigger warning. If you’re traumatized by the discussion of domestic assault, you should stop reading. After all, we’re going to talk about Kevin Porter Jr. of the Houston Rockets.
He recently committed a horrific act of domestic assault. We don’t have all of the details, but we know enough – Porter Jr. is a violent individual. In all likelihood, he won’t see another minute in the NBA. It feels trite to discuss the basketball implications of what happened here. Rest assured that the Rockets are thinking about it – they have to.
Rumor has it that the Rockets would prefer to trade Porter Jr. No team is going to want him, but they could want his contract. Porter Jr.’s deal is uniquely designed so that it can be terminated at several junctures – obviously, the Rockets anticipated this type of situation. Could they flip him for Tim Hardaway Jr. of the Dallas Mavericks?
The Trade Proposal
Dallas Mavericks receive: G/F Kevin Porter Jr., 2024 Second-Round Pick (HOU), 2024 Second-Round Pick (BKN via HOU), 2025 Second-Round Pick (OKC via HOU)
Houston Rockets receive: G/F Tim Hardaway Jr.
Domestic assault may be bigger than the NBA. That doesn’t mean that it’s not a problem in the NBA. Porter Jr. is not the first professional basketball player to be guilty of a heinous crime against a woman. Unfortunately, he probably won’t be the last, either.
Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets is another perpetrator. He lost a year of his career. Now, he’s due to suit back up for the Hornets. It feels wrong. This is a serious crime – one could make the case that after committing it, a man should not be able to play professional basketball again.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tim Hardaway Jr, Dallas Mavericks & Houston Rockets Updates
Will the league make an example out of Porter Jr.? We will see. This seems like a more severe incident than Bridges’. Porter Jr. also has a history. Time will tell how the league resolves this situation. Is this how the Rockets should resolve it?
Why The Houston Rockets Do The Deal
Again, we don’t want to trivialize the issue here. Nobody is nearly as impacted as Porter Jr.’s victim. Still, this does sting the Rockets from a basketball perspective. Porter Jr. was the best catch-and-shoot player on this team.
Meanwhile, the Rockets have every intention of trying to win games this year. This team has been tanking for several seasons. This summer, they signed Fred Vanvleet, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale and Jeff Green. The tank was supposed to stop. Unfortunately, Kevin Porter Jr. was supposed to be part of stopping it.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tim Hardaway Jr, Dallas Mavericks & Houston Rockets Updates
Here, they’re replacing him directly. Hardaway Jr. is a catch-and-shoot specialist. This roster is starved for floor spacing, and Hardaway Jr. provides it. Should the Mavericks provide the Rockets with floor spacing?
Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal
For the Mavericks, this is mostly about cap relief. Hardaway Jr. is under contract until the summer after 2024-25. Porter Jr. won’t cost them a penny of cap space. If the league doesn’t void his contract, they’ll release him next summer. Following that, the Mavericks would have the cap space to make some major moves.
At the same time, they don’t mind picking up three second-round picks, either. We’ve seen teams use second-rounders to facilitate trades for impactful role players in the past. These aren’t marquee assets, but Hardaway Jr. isn’t a marquee player. This is a market value return for him.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Tim Hardaway Jr, Dallas Mavericks & Houston Rockets Updates
Would Dallas take a PR hit? Possibly. At the same time, they’d make their intention to cut Porter Jr. clear. He wouldn’t play a second in a Mavericks uniform. Realistically, he should never play a second in the NBA again.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
