Old connections could motivate San Antonio Spurs to get Porter Jr.

The San Antonio Spurs can help Kevin Porter Jr. find his footing in the NBA

A few bad moments can ruin an NBA player’s reputation and make it difficult for them to find their way onto a roster. Even if a player is immensely talented, if he’s a problem in the locker room teams are going to be wary of bringing him aboard. The San Antonio Spurs have a chance to bring in such a player.

According to Brian Windhorst, the Cleveland Cavaliers are planning to waive or trade Kevin Porter Jr. after the young guard got into a locker room altercation with team officials. The shouting match was the latest in a string of issues that have been an unfortunate part of Porter’s career.

In November of this year, Porter flipped his car and crashed. When police searched his car after the accident they found a gun and a small amount of marijuana inside. All charges stemming from the crash were eventually dropped.

The off the court issues have evidently become too much for the Cavs but the San Antonio Spurs should consider bringing Porter in. Reuniting him with an old teammate could be the key to helping him find his footing in the league.

Dejounte Murray could help Kevin Porter Jr. find his role in the NBA

Before they were on different teams in the NBA, Dejounte Murray and Kevin Porter Jr. shared a court together in their hometown of Seattle, Washington. Murray and Porter both played for Ranier Beach High School, following in the footsteps of Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson.

There aren’t any questions about Porter’s talent. A smooth scoring lefty, Porter was one of the most highly-rated players on the Cavs board when they traded up to pick him in the 2019 draft.

He can light it up if he gets going but outside of that, he doesn’t bring too much to the table on offense. He doesn’t create many open looks for his teammates and defense has never been his forte.

Still, Porter is a talented young player who is just a year removed from being a first-round draft pick. If a team can help him get to a better place off the court he could end up being a valuable, instant offense kind of player for a team’s second unit.

Team culture and a harmonious locker room are key parts of the San Antonio Spurs’ success. But if the Spurs feel like the old connection with Murray and their proven development program can bring the best out of Porter then it would be interesting to see them add him to their team.