LA Clippers Should Pass on Kevin Porter Jr Despite the Fit
After an outburst in the locker room, Kevin Porter Jr is expected to be traded or released soon. While he may fill a need, the LA Clippers shouldn’t pursue.
After Taurean Prince was given the locker that used to belong to Kevin Porter Jr, it’s reported that Porter flew off the handle, and the Cavaliers are now looking to trade or cut him. For the LA Clippers, Porter would fill a hole in the roster, but character concerns should probably keep him out of the Clippers’ sights.
Porter hasn’t played yet this season, but as a rookie he was already a solid defensive wing with the potential to be very good on that end, while possessing high level athleticism and flashes of an outside game. For the LA Clippers, whose sole backup wing with defensive ability is Marcus Morris, KPJ would slot in nicely as more defense off the bench.
Not only that, but as a first round pick in his second year, Porter would give the Clippers some youth and potential for the future, which are assets they’re severely lacking after the Paul George trade. There would be lots of good reasons on the court for the Clips to pursue him.
But the team can’t only consider the on-the-court effects. Off the court, Porter hasn’t proven himself to be the kind of locker room presence the LA Clippers want.
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Just since August, Kevin Porter Jr has been accused of punching a woman in the face during an altercation, charged with possession of marijuana and a firearm after an automobile accident, and now he’s gone so far as to throw food because his locker was moved.
The Clips have so few assets to potentially make a trade that it’s not worth using some of them on a player who could very well not be able to stay on the court because of his bad decisions. It would be much more reasonable to make a move, if they do make one, for a player they’re more confident in, personality-wise.
Even setting legal issues aside, the LA Clippers seem to have just gotten over locker room issues and are building quality team chemistry. KPJ doesn’t bring nearly enough to the table to justify potentially throwing a bomb into the locker room.
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Kevin Porter Jr does provide a tempting skillset that could contribute to the LA Clippers now and going forward. But his personality and potential locker room issues make me not want to see the Clips make any sort of move for him.