NBC New York reported Monday on the incident:
His girlfriend was taken to the hospital with at least one broken bone and bruising, law enforcement officials told NBC New York.The NBA and Houston Rockets are aware of the incident, but have not made substantive comments at the time of writing this. The league has domestic assault policies in place that can be enforced with or without a conviction from authorities.
The alleged incident began after the pair had been out. She returned to the room, but Porter Jr. got locked out, sources said, and the altercation escalated from there.
Porter, 23, has been the subject of a number of incidents over his four NBA seasons including one in the locker room of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who traded the former first round pick to the Rockets for virtually nothing. He also missed part of that year, his rookie season, due to a weapons charge in the offseason that was eventually dropped.
In January of the 2021-22 season, Porter left the Toyota Center at halftime after a shouting match with Rockets coaches including then head coach Stephen Silas and long-time assistant and front office person John Lucas — Lucas is Gondrezick's godfather.
Those incidents and the young guard's volatility led the Rockets to sign him to a unique contract that begins this year. Only the first full season is guaranteed at $15.86 million with subsequent seasons either containing small guarantees ($1 million for season two) or guarantees only if he is on the roster.
The Rockets had worked to mold the young left-handed guard into their point guard of the future, but they also signed free agent Fred VanVleet this offseason to play the position. It is unclear what ramifications this will have on Porter's future with the team, but it is unlikely to be positive. The NBA's domestic assault policy is clear and it is exactly this type of incident the Rockets were preparing for when they signed Porter to his new deal.
