Kevin Porter Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Sabonis, Towns, J. Green, K. Porter

October 23rd, 2025 at 9:55pm CST by Rory Maher

Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who missed Wednesday’s regular season opener in Phoenix, appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from a Grade 1 right hamstring strain. The Lithuanian big man has been upgraded to questionable for Friday’s home opener vs. Utah, tweets Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento.

The questionable tag certainly doesn’t guarantee Sabonis will suit up tomorrow, but it’s at least an encouraging development after the three-time All-Star was spotted getting shots up during Thursday’s practice. The Kings are banged up in the frontcourt, with forward Keegan Murray (thumb surgery) and his replacement in the starting lineup (Nique Clifford; hamstring strain) both out as well.

Second-year big man Isaac Jones, who missed Wednesday’s loss with an illness, is no longer on the injury report and will be active for Friday’s game, Cunningham adds.

We have more injury updates from around the NBA:

While Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns managed to record a double-double (19 points and 11 rebounds in 31 minutes) during Wednesday’s opener vs. Cleveland, his injury designation changed multiple times in the hours leading up to the game, writes Vincent Goodwill of ESPN.com. After the victory, Towns said he is battling a Grade 2 right quad strain. “I’ve been banged up, and I really haven’t gotten a chance to practice or play in the last two preseason games,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to disappoint the fans. It’s not something that’s easy to deal with, [but] we made it happen tonight.” Towns admitted he was bothered by the injury during the game, notes Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. “It was hurting,” Towns said. “For sure.“
Fifth-year guard Jalen Green continues to be sidelined by a right hamstring strain. Suns head coach Jordan Ott confirmed the offseason addition will miss the first two games (Friday at the Clippers and Saturday at the Nuggets) of a three-game road trip, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). However, Green will be traveling with the team, which is a positive sign, and he hasn’t been ruled out of Monday’s game in Utah.
Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. notched 10 points and two assists in nine minutes during Wednesday’s opening win vs. Washington before exiting late in the first quarter. An MRI on Thursday confirmed Porter has a left ankle sprain, according to the Bucks, who announced (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old will miss at least two games (Friday in Toronto and Sunday in Cleveland) as a result of the injury. Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony are likely to continue to receive more playing time with Porter out.

And-Ones: Team USA, Role Players, M. Jones, Balcetis

October 17th, 2025 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters at a Thursday press conference to formally introduce Erik Spoelstra as Team USA’s new men’s basketball head coach, managing director Grant Hill said that winning a World Cup for the first time since 2014 is the “first order of business” for the national team, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The U.S. finished seventh at the 2019 World Cup and fourth in 2023, failing to secure a medal at either event. Typically, the World Cup rosters featured less established stars than the Olympic squads, and that likely won’t change going forward, according to Vardon, who points to Cooper Flagg and Evan Mobley as a couple possibilities for the 2027 team. For his part, Hill is in no rush to lock in on any specific players quite yet.

“We have some time, and one of the great things is to see who emerges,” Hill said. “You have two years before the World Cup, and it seems like every season there are players who take a step in their development and become better players, All-Star players, players whose games translate to international play.

“It’s great to get these players in the pipeline. The great thing is, yes, the world is getting better, but we are too. We still have some great players in this country, great young players. And you know, it’s on me to get out and recruit and you know, sort of share with guys the importance of doing this.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Fred Katz of The Athletic identifies five role players around the NBA who could end up being pivotal contributors for their respective teams this season, including Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr., Cavaliers wing De’Andre Hunter, and Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr.
After signing him last month, the Perth Wildcats have parted ways with former NBA guard Mason Jones, as Olgun Uluc of ESPN writes. Jones, who was named the MVP of the 2025 G League Finals in April, struggled in his first five games in Australia’s National Basketball League, shooting just 34.7% from the floor, including 27.6% on three-pointers. The Wildcats are exploring the market for a new import guard to replace him, per Uluc.
Former Nuggets assistant general manager Tommy Balcetis is joining Zalgiris Kaunas as the Lithuanian club’s head of innovations, according to BasketNews. Balcetis was considered a potential candidate to run Denver’s front office after the team fired Calvin Booth in the spring, but the Nuggets opted to promote Ben Tenzer into that position and didn’t renew Balcetis’ contract.
NBA rookies and award winners will wear patches on their jerseys this season as part of the league’s partnership with Fanatic/Topps. Dan Hajducky of ESPN has the details on the new program.

Bucks Notes: Rollins, Giannis, Anthony, Green, Turner

October 2nd, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Luke Adams

Bucks guard Ryan Rollins told reporters after Thursday’s practice that he played through a left shoulder injury last season and underwent surgery to address the issue about a week after the team was eliminated from the playoffs, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Although he admitted that his shoulder feels “a little different…range-wise,” Rollins clarified that it feels good and he has “no hesitation” in the shoulder.

“It was a four-month recovery,” he said. “I started back playing maybe the end of July, actually doing stuff on the court. And I would say my first live segment was not this week, but last week. So I’m just getting back into playing condition and all that, but I feel stronger. I feel good. I feel confident.”

Asked on Wednesday about what Rollins’ role would look like this season with Kevin Porter Jr. and Cole Anthony also in the point guard mix, head coach Doc Rivers made it clear that he’s not pigeonholing those players into a specific position and wouldn’t have any qualms about playing two of them at a time.

“I don’t look at them as point guards,” Rivers said (Twitter link via Nehm). “I think they all can play all the positions. I mean, we played Ryan and Cole together today. So, it doesn’t matter, they’re guards. Our offense is…not a point guard orientated offense.”

Rivers mentioned earlier in the week that he anticipates Porter will be a starter this fall.

Here’s more on the Bucks:

Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who remained in Greece this week dealing with a case of COVID-19, is set to join the Bucks as their training camp shifts from Milwaukee to Miami, writes Ben Steele of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He’ll be flying in either tonight or in the morning,” Rivers said on Thursday ahead of the team’s flight to Florida. The Bucks’ preseason schedule will tip off on Monday with a matchup vs. the Heat in Miami, so the club will be in town for a few days before that game.
Anthony was held out of the contact portion of Thursday’s practice as a precautionary measure due to an unspecified health issue, tweets Nehm. Rivers didn’t provide any details on what was wrong with the veteran guard.
One of just a handful of Bucks players who didn’t sign a new contract this offseason, A.J. Green is unfazed by not having a contract extension in place yet, as Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays. “It’s gonna happen exactly how it should,” said Green, who is on an expiring deal. “If I worry about it, what’s that gonna do for me? I’m not in control of it. I can only do what I can now. So, I just gotta trust that whatever is gonna happen is gonna happen regardless. It’s out of my hands.”
After saying on media day that he’s happy to be “in a city now that wants to celebrate me,” new Bucks center Myles Turner sought to clarify that the remark wasn’t intended as a shot at Indianapolis or Pacers fans. “This quote has NOTHING to do with Indy fans and EVERYTHING to do with my free agency experience,” Turner tweeted.

Eastern Notes: Porter, Celtics, Magic, Hornets, Wiseman

October 1st, 2025 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a question about Kevin Porter Jr.‘s increased responsibilities in 2025/26 now that Damian Lillard is no longer on the roster, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers suggested that the plan will be to start Porter at point guard, as Eric Nehm of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).

“He started out as a high draft pick. He started. They put the ball in his hands. He could literally take any shot and he did,” Rivers said. “And now he comes from that, from not playing at times, coming off the bench, being out of the league, to now back to starting. And that’s a huge a responsibility for him to run the team and still be aggressive. That’s the hardest thing to do, I think, in basketball is from the point guard, understand when and when. It’s just hard, and so I’m sure at times he’ll be great at it and then at times he may struggle at it, but we’ll support him and get him right.”

As Rivers alluded to in his comments, Porter was the starting point guard in Houston from 2021-23, but was out of the NBA during the 2023/24 season due to a domestic violence incident.

Returning to action last season, Porter was up and down for the Clippers, but thrived following a deadline deal to Milwaukee. In 30 regular season outings for the Bucks, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 19.9 minutes per game and posted a shooting line of .494/.408/.871.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Brian Robb of MassLive.com shares his takeaways from the Celtics‘ first day of practice on Tuesday, which featured an appearance from former Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins. Jenkins got a first-hand look at another former Grizzly, big man Xavier Tillman, who appears to be back to 100% after being plagued by knee issues in 2024/25. “From just a playing perspective, (last season) was very hard,” Tillman said, per Robb. “Just wanting to play, wanting to contribute. But I also knew I was going through stuff myself. My knee would have days where it would just swell up into a balloon after I had one scrimmage or stuff like that. So I knew consistency-wise, I could be there to kind of support. But as far as my actual play, I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do.”
Speaking of former Grizzlies, Magic newcomers Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones also played together in Memphis under Jenkins, and their chemistry has been on display so far at Orlando’s training camp, as Joe Vardon of The Athletic details. “There’s a comfort level that they have with one another,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said of the duo. “Their veteran leadership, knowing that they’re calling each other out, going to the same baskets. There’s just something about them and their experience through this league that just says, one, they’ve been together before and, if I didn’t (already) know it, I would have thought it.”
The Hornets officially announced a series of changes and additions to their basketball operations staff, including confirming that former Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune as been hired as an assistant coach, as was first reported in August.
Although he admits he was “shocked” and disappointed when he tore his Achilles last fall, Pacers center James Wiseman said he got through the recovery process “one day at a time” and believes he’s now in the best shape of his career, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. According to head coach Rick Carlisle, Wiseman was one of the team’s best performers in a conditioning test last week. “You think about what he’s gone through with his rehab and everything else and this is a week before camp, he’s out there with some of our best conditioned wings and guards,” Carlisle said. “That’s a strong statement.”

NBA Reportedly Concludes Kevin Porter Jr. Investigation

July 17th, 2025 at 1:25pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has concluded its investigation of Kevin Porter Jr.‘s domestic violence incident from September 2023, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the 25-year-old guard received a four-game suspension but won’t actually have to miss any games during the upcoming season.

As Murray tweets, Porter missed the entire 2023/24 season as a result of the incident, having been traded from Houston to Oklahoma City and subsequently cut by the Thunder in October 2023. Due to those circumstances and the information discovered in the league’s investigation, the four-game suspension will be considered already served, says Murray.

Porter was arrested in September 2023 following an altercation with his then-girlfriend, ex-WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, and was originally charged with felony counts of assault and strangulation. He reached a plea deal in Manhattan in January 2024, agreeing to reckless assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, as well as harassment in the second degree, which is considered a violation.

Several weeks after Porter’s arrest that September, Gondrezick disputed Manhattan prosecutors’ characterization of the incident that took place on September 11, telling Priscilla DeGregory and Emily Crane of The New York Post that Porter “never balled his fists up and hit me” and “definitely didn’t punch me in the face numerous times.”

A second-degree assault charge against Porter was dropped at that time after it was determined that Gondrezick’s vertebra fracture was a congenital defect and not caused by the former Rocket.

“It happened very fast, not to the degree of what was reported,” Gondrezick said of the altercation. “And it was an argument that occurred in the room for not even 10 seconds.”

The NBA put the Porter investigation on hold while he played in Greece during the ’23/24 campaign, but resumed it when he signed with the Clippers last July. Porter was traded to the Bucks in February and re-signed with Milwaukee on a two-year deal earlier this month.

Contract Details: KPJ, J. Smith, Wiseman, Schröder, Stevens

July 8th, 2025 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that the Bucks used their room exception to complete the signing, guard Kevin Porter Jr. received the exact value of the bi-annual exception on his new two-year deal, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. The first year is worth $5,134,000, with a second-year player option worth $5,390,700. The move leaves roughly $3.65MM on Milwaukee’s room exception.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on either a one-year contract or a two-year deal with a second-year option is typically awarded the right to veto a trade for the rest of that season. However, Porter is one of a few players, along with Lakers big man Jaxson Hayes, who have waived that right as part of their new deals.

Sixers guard Eric Gordon and Raptors wing Garrett Temple have also given up that right to veto a trade, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

We have more details on some of the recently signed contracts from around the league:

Jabari Smith Jr.‘s five-year, $122MM rookie scale extension with the Rockets declines in the second season before increasing in each of the final three years, notes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. That dip in 2027/28 comes during the season in which an extension for Amen Thompson figures to be hitting Houston’s books — it could also be the final year of Kevin Durant‘s contract, if he signs a two-year extension with the team at some point.
James Wiseman‘s new two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Pacers, which features a second-year team option, is partially guaranteed for $1MM in 2025/26, Hoops Rumors has learned. If Wiseman’s option for ’26/27 is exercised, that year’s salary would be partially guaranteed for roughly $1.13MM.
Dennis Schröder‘s three-year deal with the Kings, which is worth exactly the three-year value of the mid-level exception ($44,427,600), is partially guaranteed for $4.35MM in the third year, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Although the contract fits into the MLE, Sacramento is believed to have used an existing trade exception to accommodate the acquisition of Schröder.
Isaiah Stevens‘ two-way contract agreement with the Kings will cover two years, according to Scotto (Twitter link).

Bucks Re-Sign Kevin Porter Jr. To Two-Year Deal

June 30th, 2025 at 6:22pm CST by Luke Adams

July 7: Porter has officially re-signed with the Bucks, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

June 30: The Bucks and free agent guard Kevin Porter Jr. have agreed to a two-year deal worth $11MM, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Porter turned down a $2.55MM player option over the weekend in order to become a free agent. He’ll have an opportunity to return to the open market again in a year, as his new deal will feature a player option for 2026/27, per Charania.

Porter opened the 2024/25 season with the Clippers before being sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. He finished the season strong with the Bucks, averaging 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 19.9 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the floor, including 40.8% on threes.

The 25-year-old’s off-court history – ranging from a locker-room incident that ended his time in Cleveland to a domestic altercation that led to his exit from Houston – have limited his value to some extent in recent years, preventing him from securing big money or longer-term commitments. However, the Bucks liked their brief stint with Porter last season enough to move forward with him.

The Bucks will use the bi-annual exception to re-sign Porter, since they wouldn’t be able to complete the deal using his Non-Bird rights, notes Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The BAE will be worth about $10.5MM over two seasons.

Kevin Porter Jr. To Decline Player Option

June 28th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

June 28: Porter has informed the Bucks that he won’t pick up the option and plans to test free agency, sources tell Eric Nehm and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).

June 11: Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. is expected to decline his $2.55MM player option in order to become a free agent, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

It certainly doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the contributions Porter made after being dealt from the Clippers to the Bucks. In 30 regular season appearances, Porter averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 19.9 minutes per game with Milwaukee. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists in five postseason outings.

Milwaukee hopes to retain Porter, according to Scotto. That makes plenty of sense, given Damian Lillard‘s Achilles tear, which will likely keep Lillard out of action all of next season. Porter projects as the Bucks’ starting point guard, unless they acquire one via a trade or free agency. Milwaukee does not have a first-round selection in this month’s draft.

Porter was dealt to the Bucks in February after appearing in 45 games with the Clippers.

He is a former first-round pick who played in Greece last season after multiple off-court incidents, including reaching a plea agreement for misdemeanor assault and harassment in January 2024 after allegedly attacking his then-girlfriend in September 2023. The Clippers gave him another NBA opportunity in July when they signed him to a two-year, minimum-salary contract.

Bucks Rumors: Giannis, Lopez, Portis, Porter, Trent

June 11th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

As Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo ponders his NBA future, he won’t let outside events rush the decision, Shams Charania of ESPN said today in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). There has been speculation for weeks that the two-time MVP might demand a trade to improve his chances of winning another NBA title, but Charania suggests that interested teams may have to wait a lot longer.

“His status will not be tied to the NBA draft, it won’t be tied to free agency,” Charania said. “It’s much more likely that his future plays out into July and into August in terms of him seeing the landscape of not only the Bucks – seeing the landscape of the league, seeing what other teams do.”

Antetokounmpo reportedly met with Bucks officials last month to discuss the direction of the franchise. Nothing was leaked from that meeting, but there has been a sense of growing skepticism around the league that Antetokounmpo will actually be on the trade market this summer, with an NBA executive predicting to Adam Zagoria of NJ.com this week that the 30-year-old “isn’t going anywhere.”

Charania states that Antetokounmpo’s history of being loyal to Milwaukee contributes to that feeling, but cautions that he hasn’t reached a final decision yet.

“When you’re a star of that caliber, the league moves how you want it to move,” Charania added. “The league will move when you’re ready to ask for a trade or if you’re ready to say that I’m staying, I want to be back.”

There’s more on the Bucks:

Teams interested in trading for Antetokounmpo have begun to move forward with alternate strategies as the draft and free agency draw nearer, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). League sources tell Fischer that the Bucks aren’t considering any of the trade offers they’ve received for their star forward, and they seem to be operating as though they expect him to be on the roster next season.
Milwaukee may find it challenging to retain free agent center Brook Lopez, Fischer observes in the same piece. Sources tell him that the Lakers, who are known to be in the market for center help, have been interested in Lopez for several years. The Rockets, who were close to signing Lopez two years ago, may try again if they can’t reach a new deal with Steven Adams, their own free agent big man.
The Bucks are hoping to keep Bobby Portis, but he might have several mid-level offers to choose from if he declines his $13.4MM player option for next season, Fischer adds. He identifies the Warriors as a possible suitor, noting that Steve Kerr has been a fan of Portis since coaching him in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Stein hears that Kevin Porter Jr., who’s expected to decline his $2.55MM player option for next season, and Gary Trent Jr. will also draw plenty of interest on the free agent market.

Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Turner

June 8th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Eli Cohen

While there’s reportedly increased skepticism that the Bucks and star Giannis Antetokounmpo will part ways this summer, there are plenty of questions facing the team regardless of whether he stays or leaves. Spotrac’s Keith Smith breaks down the many hurdles Milwaukee has to face in his offseason preview, writing that the team is in the unfortunate position of needing to prepare for two potential paths: one where the two-time MVP stays and one where he goes.

The Bucks have few assets to trade should Antetokounmpo decide to remain in Milwaukee, and it would be imperative to maximize the pieces still on the roster, given that any team with Giannis would surely still be attempting to compete for championships. Longtime Antetokounmpo running mate Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent and could probably be retained for somewhere around $15-18MM per season over two years, Smith speculates. Bobby Portis has a $13.4MM player option, and it’s unclear if he would command more than that on the market.

Retaining their minimum signings in Gary Tr ent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Kevin Porte r Jr. will be important, as they can all contribute as floor spacers, which is crucial when building a roster around Antetokounmpo. It’s unlikely that Pat Connaughton and Kyle Kuzma will receive contract extensions, and it’s possible the team looks to move them for more consistent contributors, Smith writes.

If Antetokounmpo does ask out, though, Smith expects all of the Bucks’ free agents to be on new teams come next season, though it’s highly likely Connaughton picks up his player option no matter what else happens.

We have more news from the Central Division:

If the Bucks want to get more out of their marginal moves, they need to have better top-down organizational alignment, writes The Athletic’s Eric Nehm in his Bucks mailbag. Nehm identifies A.J. Green as one of the team’s few developmental successes, and points to head coach Doc Rivers‘ deliberate creation of a role for the shooting specialist as a key to that success. The Bucks need their head coach to take a similar approach to other players, notably Andre Ja ckson Jr., if they want to recreate that formula.
The Bulls‘ outlook has improved since the end of the season based solely on the Eastern Conference weakening this summer, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. With the top two picks in the 2025 draft expected to end up on Western Conference teams, the Celtics looking at a restructuring season following Jayson Tatum‘s ruptured Achilles, and questions surrounding what the Cavaliers and Knicks will do following postseason defeats, Chicago could stand pat and still be back in postseason contention. However, the Bulls have decisions to make on trading or extending players like Nikola Vucevic, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter, Ayo Dosunmu, and Coby White, who are all heading into the final year of their deals.
The Pacers and starting center Myles Turner have mutual interest in coming to terms on a new deal, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter video link). Indiana hasn’t been a taxpayer since 2006, but after making deep playoff runs in back-to-back years, the club is willing to pay what it takes to keep its roster intact, says Charania. Jake Fischer of the Stein Line, who has previously reported that the Pacers are expected to re-sign Turner, confirms the ongoing mutual interest between the two sides.