Getty Otto Porter Jr shoots the ball in a January 5 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
As much talk as there’s been about the Chicago Bulls and potential moves at the trade deadline, little has been spent discussing the future of Otto Porter Jr. The 27-year-old, who hasn’t played since February 1st due to continuing back issues, will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on Monday morning that rival teams are monitoring Porter on the off chance that he and the Bulls agree to a contract buyout. He’s their highest-paid player $28.5 million this year.
Teams are also eyeing Otto Porter Jr., who’s played only 45 games with the Bulls since being acquired from the Wizards in 2019 because of ongoing back issues. Chicago could just let his contract run out before he hits the market this offseason, but executives believe a buyout could occur.
O’Connor went on to name the Golden State Warriors as a team with potential interest in the forward. Porter’s averaging 11.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and two assists over his 16 games played this season.
ALL the latest Bulls news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Bulls newsletter here!
Why Would Chicago be Interested in a Buyout?
The news of a buyout is somewhat of a surprise, given the expiring nature of Porter’s contract. And there’s been no report or talk of any negative influence he may be having on this locker room, as a guy who’s not playing.
Instead, Porter’s been as vocal as anyone from the sidelines, cheering on his teammates when present. So why would the Bulls engage in buyout conversations with his agent, as opposed to letting him close out the year?
The better question is why you would let a guy walk into free agency, knowing he won’t be resigning, for nothing?
It’s almost a similar reasoning as to why they’d entertain trading him, except Porter doesn’t have the value to warrant any significant return. In this case, getting some of his $28.4 million salary back is better than nothing.
Especially when you factor in the NBA trade deadline being just weeks away. Is it possible that Chicago could have their eyes on a bigger move, and be looking into freeing up some cap space? It would require the Bulls to make additional moves to free up anything substantial, but this could be the first domino that needs to fall.
There’s Little Trade Interest in Otto Porter Jr
If nothing else, a buyout being named as a potential route for Porter and the Bulls likely indicates that they’ve explored the trade market and found next-to-no suitors. It’s not surprising. As O’Connor noted above, Porter’s played just 45 games since the 2019 trade deadline, with a variety of different injuries.
The only kind of deal that would make sense is for another large expiring salary, of which there are few, that are assigned to players who’ve been rumored as available. One possibility would be a swap of Otto Porter Jr for Andre Drummond, who was benched back in January with the team openly searching for a trade partner.
Drummond’s $28.7 expiring salary lines up almost perfectly, and The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported last week that there was some interest in the two-time on the Bulls’ end of things. He averaged 17.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 25 games for Cleveland this season.
It’d make sense for a team like the Cavaliers to trade for Porter, even on a similar salary as Drummond’s, given that they’d acquire his Bird Rights in the deal. If he proves he’s still got plenty left in the tank and can stay healthy over the season’s final leg, they’d walk into the offseason being able to offer him the most money in free agency.
Talk of the Chicago Bulls potentially buying out Otto Porter Jr’s salary is likely a sign that not only is the team ready to move on, but even if it means getting nothing but cap relief in return. It also alerts teams with large expiring contracts of an opportunity to acquire the forward’s Bird Rights, should they hold any interest.
READ NEXT: Bulls VP Says Veteran ‘Not Available’ for Trade: Report