The Los Angeles Lakers may have an opening to add a player after waiving Dalton Knecht, but Kevin Porter Jr. doesn’t look like the answer.
That’s the view from team insider Jovan Buha, who said he would be surprised if the Lakers jumped in on the former Bucks guard after Milwaukee cut him loose on Monday, the NBA’s roster deadline day. Around the league, roughly 80 players were waived as teams worked to get down to 15 guaranteed contracts ahead of the 2026-27 season, and Porter was one of the more notable names to hit the market.
“I would be surprised by a Kevin Porter Jr. signing,” Buha said. “There is the complicated nature of his background and some of what has transpired, which I think, for any team signing him, you’re going to have to explain some things from a PR perspective. And the Lakers have tried to refrain from adding those types of players for the most part recently.”
Porter’s past is the obvious issue. He was arrested in September 2023 for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, Kysre Gondrezick. Gondrezick was left with at least one broken bone, and he was charged with strangulation and second-degree assault.
At the time, Porter was with the Houston Rockets. He had been the No. 30 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but Houston traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in October 2023. The Thunder quickly waived him, and he spent the entire 2023-24 season out of the league.
In January 2024, Porter reached a plea deal, agreeing to a charge of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree.
His basketball path then took a sharp turn overseas before looping back to the NBA. He signed with Greek club PAOK in April, then returned in July on a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers were willing to give him a shot, but the stint didn’t last long. Half a season later, they traded him to the Bucks in February 2025.
Porter then produced in Milwaukee. In 2025-26, he averaged 17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, leading the team in assists and steals per night. Even so, he appeared in only 38 games because of injuries.
The Bucks’ offseason only made the backcourt picture tighter. They moved Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal that brought back Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis, then added Brayden Burries with the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Suddenly, Porter looked less essential than he had a few months earlier.
Still, his release came as something of a surprise. Even with the roster squeeze, he would have seemed safe. But preseason may have changed that equation.
Porter struggled badly in exhibition play, averaging 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 30.0% from the field and 20.0% from 3-point range. Whether that was the reason Milwaukee moved on is unclear, but it may have played a part.
For the Lakers, the fit appears unlikely. For other teams, though, the door is probably open. A guard with Porter’s talent will draw attention, and front offices have shown plenty of willingness to weigh on-court value against off-court baggage.
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