Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr arrested for assault, strangulation

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr has been arrested and charged with assault and strangulation after allegedly attacking a woman at a New York City hotel.

Porter, 23, is accused of hitting the woman several times and putting his hands around her neck, police said on Monday. The woman, 26, was taken to a hospital with a cut to the right side of her face.

The incident happened at about 6:45am ET (10:45 GMT) on Monday at the Millennium Hilton near the United Nations in Manhattan, police said.

“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,” a police spokesperson said, according to ESPN.

“A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck.”

The victim was taken to a hospital, while Porter was taken into custody.

Rockets and the NBA

Porter, 23, was a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and played one season for the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Rockets in January 2021.

The Rockets and the NBA both released brief statements regarding the situation with Porter.

“We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr,” the Rockets said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this time.”

NBA spokesman Mike Bass said: “The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”

Porter has averaged 15.3 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 196 career games (146 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2019-20) and the Rockets.

He signed a four-year extension last October that is worth up to $82.5m. Only his $15.9m salary for the upcoming 2023-24 season is fully guaranteed, according to ESPN.