Three years ago, Porter Jr. expressed his loyalty on social media: I love Houston and want me to leave unless you kill me.
In an interview with the Houston media, he said: "This is home, I am loyal, and my love for this city is limitless. They accepted me completely. I feel like I can be myself, and I have the confidence to be who I want to be. When you can be yourself and people love you for it, that's not the same feeling, I love Houston and I want to do everything to give them back.
In an interview with Greek media, Porter Jr. said: "I've only been here for five days, and I already feel at home, the way the team welcomes me, and the fans who are waiting for me at the airport.
Instead of becoming a Houston legend, Porter Jr. became a suspect in the New York police.
The Rockets, of course, weren't going to kill Porter Jr., they just traded him away. The Thunder accepted the draft pick and agreed to the trade and immediately cut Porter Jr., with a guaranteed contract of $16.86 million this season and $1 million next season.
Porter Jr. made a lot of money, but it costs a lot of money to deal with lawsuits. In order to live a comfortable retirement life in the future, Porter Jr. has to find a way to return to the NBA.
Porter Jr.'s choice to play in Greece was a double attack. First, you can travel to relax, and second, you can play games to find your state.
So even though the Greek PAOK team only offered a contract of $10,000 a month, Porter Jr. was still willing to accept it.
Porter Jr.'s strength is no problem, and he can play in the NBA rotation and start on the swing team.
With 5 of 14 shots and 5 turnovers, Porter Jr.'s debut was really bad, but it was understandable, after all, he hadn't played an official game for more than half a year, and he didn't practice together shortly after he arrived, and he didn't have a tacit understanding with his teammates. The pace of the game in Europe is different from that of the NBA, and it takes a process of adaptation.
Porter Jr. is getting better, he scored 28 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in Game 3 in Greece, and he is very lethal on the break, and he also has a presence on the defensive end.
Is this an opportunity for the Rockets to bring in low-cost reinforcements?
Rockets general manager Stone previously singled out Adams and Eason in his end-of-season press conference. Stone said Adams and Eason are both fully fit for the Rockets' preseason training camp next season, and both will easily get back on track.
Stone is optimistic about Adams' fitness, saying: "We're delighted to have him and we think he'll be an important addition to our squad.
The Rockets needed to strengthen their interior line, and Stone had discussions with multiple teams before the trade deadline, and in the end he chose Adams, mainly because of the cheapness. Adams only needs three second-round picks, the young and useful center starts with at least one first-round pick, and Stone has always been budget-conscious.
With a backup center and enough for the forward line, the Rockets currently need to bring in shooters and backup point guards. Before the trade deadline, Houston's Fagan revealed that the Rockets want to bring in a backup point guard, and Brogdon is a potential target.
Brogdon is averaging 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 29 minutes per game this season, shooting 44% from the field and 41.2% from three-point range.
But Brogdon wasn't cheap, and the Trail Blazers offered the 31-year-old a high price tag that didn't end up selling. Brogdon's annual salary will reach $22.5 million next season, and signing Porter Jr. is expected to be enough for a base salary alone.
Porter Jr. averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 34 minutes per game last season, shooting 44.2 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from three-point range. Porter Jr. is averaging 2.4 three-pointers per game, producing a decent amount and shooting percentage. Porter Jr. has good physical fitness, can attack with the ball, break through the ball, and can defend multiple positions.
Porter Jr.'s technical characteristics meet Udoka's requirements, and he can take Holiday Jr.'s place. Holiday Jr. attacked the nerve knife, and the limited height led to a difficult breakthrough and defense. Porter Jr. is 1.98 meters tall (as he said himself), and he is stronger than Little Holiday in all aspects.
Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. should welcome Porter Jr. if they return. Both Green and Smith Jr. have been following Porter Jr. through social media in recent days. For Alperen Sengun, who likes to play singles on the inside, he also needs a shooter like Porter Jr. to open up space.
In fact, some Rockets fans believe Porter Jr. should be given another chance.