Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was reportedly arrested at a hotel in New York Monday morning after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.
According to WABC, the victim was upset with the late hour of Porter's return and locked the door to their hotel room. The alleged assault took place after Porter was let in the room with the help of hotel security.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck,” an NYPD spokesperson told the Houston Chronicle. “A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around her neck.”
WABC says domestic violence charges are pending against Porter.
"We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr.," the Rockets said in a statement on Monday afternoon. "We have no further comment at this time."
Porter, 23, enters this season in the first year of a four-year, $63 million contract signed before last season, but only $1 million of that contract is guaranteed past the 2023-24 season.
The guarantee for the 2024-25 season increases to $3 million if he's on the roster on opening day, and $6 million five days after the trade deadline. His salary for next season doesn't become fully guaranteed until June 30, 2024, which is also when his salary for the 2025-26 season becomes fully guaranteed. The fourth year of the contract becomes guaranteed on June 30, 2025.
In his second full season with the Rockets, Porter averaged 19 points, five rebounds, and six assists per game as the team's starting point guard, but off court issues have marred his career.
He fell to 30th in the draft after he was suspended for conduct issues during his freshman season at USC and was arrested on a gun charge in 2020 while with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who kept him inactive for the beginning of his second NBA season before trading him to the Rockets for a high protected second round pick after an outburst at general manager Koby Altman.
Porter was suspended for a game in January 2022 for leaving the arena at halftime of a game against the Denver Nuggets following a locker room argument.
The NBA's new CBA says a player does not have to be convicted of a crime to be in violation of the league's domestic violence policy. Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was suspended 30 games after he plead no contest and the league conducted its own investigation.