Otto Porter Jr. was once considered one of the NBA’s rising stars on the wing, as his fourth and fifth seasons in Washington were nothing short of tremendous (14.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 steals per game on 50.9/43.7/83.8 shooting over those two seasons).
He looked even better to start his tenure in Chicago, but was shut down after 15 games with the Bulls in 2018-19 and played just 42 games in the two seasons since with the Bulls and Magic due to various injuries. That led to Porter’s free agent market being very poor this summer, with mid-level type offers being the best he could find as teams wanted to see him look like the player he once was before they paid him as such. As a result, Porter went in search of the best possible situation for him to shine and ended up taking a veteran minimum deal with the Warriors, where he could fit in incredibly well.
Sources: Otto Porter Jr. turned down the midlevel exception elsewhere to play for the Warriors at the minimum. https://t.co/CszqvrO37w
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 3, 2021
Even when he hasn’t been consistently healthy, Porter has been an excellent three-point shooter and there are few things higher on the Warriors needs list than more floor spacers. What they get out of Porter beyond that will determine just how much of a steal this is, as will his health. If he’s able to play most of the season, which is certainly a big if given his recent history, the Warriors are getting one of the league’s best shooters and another big, physical wing who can defend multiple positions on the minimum.
It is the exact kind of swing this Warriors team should be taking, and after an underwhelming offseason to this point, signing Porter is arguably the move they’ve made that should excite fans most in the immediate. It is low risk given he’s, effectively, just taking a roster spot previously used for a non-factor in Allen Smailagic, but has the upside to be a real contributor that can elevate both the floor and ceiling of this team. Only time will tell if Porter can stay healthy and what form he can regain, but this has a chance to be one of the best signings of the offseason for anyone.
