HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- Kevin Porter Jr. was not in a good mental space before he was traded last year from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Houston Rockets.
Porter Jr., a Seattle, Washington native who played college ball for a year at USC, had a disappointing rookie season in Cleveland. There were issues on the court, and away from it.
Even going into the 2019 NBA Draft, there were questions about his off-court character, which is probably why he was taken so late in the first round.
A year later, Porter Jr. was addressing cryptic social media posts in which he wrote "You ever wish to see the end of your time?" That prompted Cavs officials to check on his well-being.
In November 2020, Porter Jr. was arrested after a single car crash revealed to police a loaded handgun and a small amount of marijuana. Around that same time, TMZ Sports reported Porter Jr. and one of his sisters were involved in an altercation with two other women.
Then there was the dustup in the Cavaliers locker room, which ultimately led to his departure from Cleveland.
Porter Jr. was spending time away from the team to deal with his personal issues, while the Cavaliers had just acquired Taurean Prince and Jarrett Allen in the James Harden trade.
Porter Jr.'s locker was given to Prince, and there was a highly publicized altercation with Cavs general manager Koby Altman in which food was reportedly thrown.
Less than two seasons into his career, the Cavaliers traded their former No. 30 overall pick to the Rockets for a future second-round draft pick.
Porter Jr. spent some time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' G League affiliate, before starting in 23 of 26 games for Houston toward the end of the season.
He averaged 16.6 points and 6.3 assists a game for the Rockets. Porter Jr. figures to be the Rockets' full-time starting point guard this year, pairing with rookie and No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green for a dynamic young backcourt.
Porter Jr. told reporters Monday that the Rockets' organization potentially saved his life.
"They picked me up when I was down," Porter Jr. said.
Earlier in the press conference, Rockets head coach Stephen Silas stressed the importance making sure players feel supported, not just as athletes but as people.
Silas spoke about players not feeling alone. To that point, Porter Jr. has credited both Silas and player development coach John Lucas for taking him under their wings.
Brandon Scott manages digital content for SportsRadio 610. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott.