Getty Otto Porter Jr and Klay Thompson celebrate with the Larry O'Brien Trophy during the Golden State Warriors' 2022 championship victory parade.
After helping the Golden State Warriors to their fourth NBA title in the last eight seasons, Otto Porter Jr. decided to part ways with the team and take a bigger offer from the Toronto Raptors.
Porter said at the time that he was excited to join the Raptors and play in his wife’s hometown, but his season has now ended on a low note. The Raptors announced on January 10 that he had undergone surgery on an injured left foot and would miss the remainder of the season.
After averaging 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game for the Warriors last season, Porter appeared in just eight games this season, scoring 5.5 points per game.
“This was a tough decision for Otto, he had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health,” said Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster, via The Associated Press. “We look forward to his healthy recovery.”
Otto Porter Jr.’s Season Ends in Disappointment
Porter had signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Raptors in July with a $6.3 million player option for next season. After playing an important role with the Warriors as a do-it-all big man, Porter looked to be moving into a significant role in Toronto’s rotation and earned some praise from Webster.
“He’s a versatile defender and high-level shooter who fits well with our team both on and off the court. We really value his high basketball IQ, his connections to our city, and we’re looking forward to getting started,” Webster said at the time Porter signed.
🚨Otto Porter Jr. will miss the rest of the 2022-23 season🚨
But Porter’s time was cut short as he suffered a dislocated toe in November and this week underwent surgery that will end his season.
Porter’s Tough Decision to Leave Golden State
Porter said he had a hard time leaving the Warriors, especially after the team took down the Boston Celtics to win another title.
“It was tough, obviously, winning a championship there,” Porter said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “I think a lot of guys were expecting everybody to be back to run at it again. It was a tough decision. But I’m locked in with those guys for life. We had an unbelievable year.”
But Porter added that he had connections to the city of Toronto and was excited to play there.
“I played against Toronto a lot being in Washington D.C. [with the Wizards]. Love the city,” Porter said. “My wife is from here. It just makes sense.”
Many insiders believed it was a foregone conclusion that Porter would leave the Warriors, as he had outplayed the veteran’s minimum contract he signed with Golden State in 2021. Already deep in the luxury tax, the Warriors were not able to afford to give Porter the raise he would get elsewhere and instead focused on contract extensions for Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole.
The Raptors were coming off a promising season in which they won 48 games and earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, losing in six games to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. This season hasn’t gone so smoothly, with the Raptors going 17-23 and remaining just out of the final spot in the play-in tournament.