Rockets Ex Austin Rivers on Kevin Porter Jr.: 'That Door's Got to Be Closed'

Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested last week, and his future with the Houston Rockets could be over.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 20, 2023

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Houston Rockets

When the Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Porter Jr. back in 2021 from the Cleveland Cavaliers, they knew they were taking a risk.

Porter Jr. was traded for a measly second-round pick that was highly protected ... essentially a way for the Cavs to give him up for free after getting into a disagreement with the team.

The Rockets opened a door for Porter Jr. when it appeared the rest of the league had closed it. But now, former Rockets guard Austin Rivers believes that door is shut and locked after his arrest last week in New York City.

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. — Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr / © Scott Wachter, USA TODAY

“That door's got to be closed,” Rivers said on The Ringer NBA Show. “I don't even want to be that guy. But, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, three times, four times, five times, six times… we're like past chance seven at this point. I remember talking to guys in the Houston Rockets organization, higher ups. They were talking about how they were having issues then. Like, ‘we don't know what to do with him.' This is when he just got there from Cleveland.”

Porter Jr., 23, was arrested on Sept. 11 following charges of felony assault and strangulation due to an alleged attack on his girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick. Porter was released the next day on $75,000 bail. He is scheduled to be back in New York court on Oct. 16.

In the meantime, the Rockets have been reportedly looking for trades for Porter as the NBA launches its own investigation.

Published Sep 20, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.