Kevin Porter Jr.’s contract extension with Rockets has big caveat

Mar 17, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. (3) looks on during the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Carmen Mandato/POOL PHOTOS-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Porter Jr. got a big contract extension from the Houston Rockets, but the deal isn’t quite like what it seems on paper.

Reports on Monday said that Porter got a 4-year, $82.5 million contract extension from the Rockets. That sounds like a ton of money for a player who has historically been unreliable. But Houston built in key protections to the deal.

According to Shams Charania, only the first year of the deal is guaranteed, and that’s for $15.86 million.

Kevin Porter Jr.’s four-year extension is only guaranteed for $15.86 million, all in Year 1, sources said. The contract includes June trigger dates after first season, but the Rockets can essentially release Porter at any point without further pay up to the $82.5M. https://t.co/A806sRcnaE

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2022

Houston can cut Porter at any point and not owe him more than the just under $16 million figure. That’s key.

Though Porter is a good player, he’s also problematic. He was originally with the Cavs but got traded after an outburst. Last season, he ditched the Rockets mid-game after getting called out by a coach.

Guaranteeing a large amount of money to a player with Porter’s history would have been potentially disastrous, so it’s a smart move to put in limitations as Houston did.

The 22-year-old guard averaged 15.6 points, 6.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game last season and made 37.5 percent of his threes.