Former Toronto Raptors Forward Announces NBA retirement

Otto Porter Jr. is stepping away from the NBA, the Utah Jazz announced on Monday night.

After hitting the waiver write on Sunday, former Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. is stepping away from the NBA court entirely, announcing his retirement on Monday after going unclaimed.

The 30-year-old American announced his retirement through the Utah Jazz social media channels ahead of Toronto’s matchup with the Denver Nuggets, citing issues with his body that hold him back from competing at the highest level moving forward.

"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,” he said through the Jazz release. “Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I expect of myself, and I have therefore decided to retire.”

Otto Porter Jr. has announced his retirement:

"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,… pic.twitter.com/qlIdyvhsSp

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 12, 2024

Porter Jr. began his career with the Washington Wizards, playing with the D.C. club from 2013-2019, before spending time with the Chicago Bulls, Orlan do Magic, and Golden State Warriors ahead of his Raptors tenure from 2022-2024.

He won an NBA Championship with Golden State in 2022, the franchise’s seventh title.

The third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Porter, averaged 3.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 23 games for the Raptors over the last two seasons. He was traded to Utah in the deal that welcomed Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji north of the border.

Along with Porter Jr., Utah also welcomes Kira Lewis and a 2024 first-round pick in the deal. Since then, Olynyk has signed a two-year extension with the Raptors, and Agabaji has settled into the Jazz’s core.

While Porter Jr.'s NBA career comes to an end, he leaves with his last-ever win against the team that drafted him, having played 13 minutes in Toronto’s 132-102 win over the Wizards on December 27, 2023.