The 1x NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, Otto Porter Jr., has not been completely healthy since he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for a two-year, $12.3 million deal in 2022. Due to his injuries, he only appeared in 23 games for the Raptors.
In February, Porter Jr. was traded to the Utah Jazz in a deal that sent Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Raptors and Otto Porter and Kira Lewis Jr., along with the 2024 NBA draft pick, to the Jazz. Porter only played 15 games this season with the Raptors and never made an appearance for the Jazz after the trade.
Otto Porter Jr. retires after 11 NBA seasons
Following his buyout from the Utah Jazz, 1x NBA champion Otto Porter Jr. retired after 11 seasons. The Washington Wizards picked him 3rd overall in 2013. Throughout his professional career, he has served as a player for six different teams: the Washington Wizards, the Chicago Bulls, the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors, the Utah Jazz, and the Golden State Warriors. His shooting and defense helped the Golden State Warriors win in 2022. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 11 league seasons.
Why did Porter Jr. lose his NBA playoff eligibility?
Shams Charania of The Athletic issued a report saying that Otto Porter Jr. was waived by the Utah Jazz a week after the NBA Playoff eligibility deadline. He was traded to the Jazz on February 8th, at the trade deadline, and was waived a month later without playing a single game.
Porter was allowed to go back home to evaluate his options for the remaining season in case he received a buyout from the Jazz. However, Otto Porter Jr. will not be eligible for the playoffs even if he signs a minimum contract with a team for the remaining season.
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The 11-year-old veteran was waived on March 8th, which was a week after the buyout deadline, so even if Porter signs in with a new team for the remainder of the season, he will be ineligible for the playoffs.
Due to a clearance delay by the Utah Jazz’s administration, Porter will likely be out for the remainder of the season. With his 15-game appearance with the Raptors, Porter averaged 2.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in the 2023–24 season.
Porter was drafted by the Washington Wizards as the third pick in the 2013 NBA draft and has played 527 regular-season games in his career, averaging 10.3 points per game with 4.9 rebounds in 11 seasons.
Porter said, “For the past 11 years, I had the chance to live my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. That dream was capped by winning an NBA Championship! Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I expect of myself, and I have therefore decided to retire.”
He was a great role player coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 title run with above-average three-point shooting and his perimeter defence in multiple positions.
Also Read: Utah Jazz vs Boston Celtics: Match Prediction, Injury Updates, Head-to-Head Stats | March 12, 2024
