The Toronto Raptors have been hot after Kevin Durant over the last few days with such vigor to the point that their early free agency exploits have been pushed to the backburner. After signing Chris Boucher and Thad Young, Masai Ujiri was able to lure Otto Porter Jr. up north.
Porter, who used to be a solid tertiary scorer on some solid Wizards teams early in his career, forced his way into the Golden State Warriors rotation and was able to slip a ring on his finger. Even with his age and injury concerns, Porter was looking to cash in off this breakout season.
The Raptors managed to win 48 games and earn the No. 5 seed despite the fact that they had one of the worst collections of bench scorers we’ve seen in quite some time. Toronto needed to improve in that area, and Porter more than suffices ad an upgrade.
According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN, Porter’s deal is worth $12.4 million over two seasons, though the final year is a player option that Porter will need to pick up. The contract can be made official on Wednesday. Toronto is very secretive about contract details, but it looks like Porter’s agreement has been made public.
Otto Porter Jr.’s deal with the Raptors is worth $12.4 million over 2 years, with a player option for the second season, sources tell @TSN_Sports. It can be made official once the moratorium is lifted at noon on Wednesday.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) July 3, 2022
Toronto Raptors Otto Porter Jr. contract details revealed
Porter averaged 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game with the Warriors last year. With a career 3-point percentage of just under 40%, the expectation is that Porter will come in and instantly be an impact player off the bench that can also hold his own on the defensive end.
Porter has wholly reinvented his reputation in the NBA. Once regarded as a disappointing No. 3 pick and an albatross contract that couldn’t stick in the league, Porter was an instrumental part of Golden State’s second unit last year.
As Lewenberg notes, the Raptors still have $4.5 million of their midlevel exception. With only 12 roster spots fully guaranteed, Ujiri could use the leftover cash to bring in one more proven NBA player to fill up the back end of the roster. Porter’s deal gives them tons of flexibility.
Otto Porter Jr. reportedly has reached an agreement with Toronto
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) July 1, 2022
📝: https://t.co/Gzn9nOiyiA pic.twitter.com/81dKY0h4hl
No one is expecting Porter to come in and be the 15-point per game scorer that he was in Washington. Even with some of the risks attached, being able to go in and provide excellent shooting and aggressive defense will be more than enough to justify the contract and boost Toronto’s bench.