Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Kevin Porter Jr. has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late. The latest incident featured a run-in with Cavs general manager Koby Altman, which apparently was the final straw for the franchise. Cleveland is looking to move on from the young wing, either in a trade or by simply releasing him.
We’re now learning more details about the confrontation with Altman. Porter reportedly yelled “modern-day slavery” during the argument:
“The argument kept escalating and Porter was heard yelling about ‘modern-day slavery,’” Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com wrote. “Porter had grown frustrated recently because the team had been holding him out.”
The sophomore has yet to see action this season as he had been told to spend time away from the team. This came after multiple legal issues in the offseason, including an allegation of punching a woman in the face. Porter also got in a car accident and faced firearm and marijuana charges stemming from it, though those were dismissed.
Porter eventually made his way back to the Cavs and seemed to be nearing a return to action. However, the recent arrival of Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen in the James Harden trade sparked the latest issues. The Cavs reportedly gave Porter’s locker to Prince, which irked the youngster and led to the confrontation. In addition to the verbal argument with Altman, food was thrown.
Assuming Porter is indeed done with Cleveland, it’s an especially disappointing conclusion to his short-lived tenure there. The Cavs traded four second-round picks to acquire Porter, the 2019 NBA Draft. He concluded his rookie campaign with norms of 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 50 appearances last season.
Porter’s future in the league is now cloudy. It remains to be seen if another team in the league is willing to give him an opportunity.
