Houston Rockets: How Kevin Porter Jr. can get to the next level

The Houston Rockets trade for Kevin Porter Jr is the exact type of move the franchise needs to be making in their post-James Harden world. Porter is a young, inexpensive player with loads of potential who simply needs the right environment to thrive and for the cost of a protected second-round pick, it’s a gamble worth taking.

Porter was graded as a five-star prospect out of high school but his fiery personality derailed his college career at USC and tanked his draft stock. Selected with the 30th pick in the 2019 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Porter was traded twice before he ever played an NBA game.

First, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons on draft day, and then he was moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers six days later. Porter, in his rookie season, primarily came off the bench as the Cavaliers already had their backcourt of the future set with Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

He didn’t set the world on fire but he showed enough in his rookie season that he has a clear NBA future. However, due to an undisclosed disciplinary reason, Porter hasn’t featured this season and the relationship soured to the point that the Cavaliers were comfortable moving him to Rockets for next to nothing in return.

How Kevin Porter can reach his potential with the Houston Rockets

The Rockets now have a tremendously talented player that is in need of a strong support system and a role that allows him to reach the heights that his talent says are possible. Going off of his rookie season there are a lot of promising indications that, if coached correctly, Porter can become a game-changer for the Rockets.

Stephen Silas has had an incredibly difficult start to his head coaching career, and Porter won’t change that, but it does open the door to a tremendous opportunity. These are three things the Rockets and Stephen Silas can do to get Kevin Porter Jr to the next level.

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