NBA free agency: The 5 biggest steals so far this offseason
By Dan Bennett
NBA free agency biggest steals: 5. Otto Porter Jr.
The Warriors have not been among the most active teams in NBA free agency so far, but the business the team has done has been very shrewd, and smart. This includes the addition of Otto Porter Jr.
Porter has been in a tricky spot these past few seasons. The contract he was handed by the Washington Wizards was far too big at $106 million over four years, which contributed to him eventually being traded to the Chicago Bulls and then the Orlando Magic at the deadline last season.
It means the perception of him has been somewhat skewed. Porter did not live up to the expectations of a contract of that size, but he is still a very valuable role player in the NBA thanks to his excellent three-point shooting.
Remarkably, Porter Jr. has gone from being an almost $30m a year player to someone who will be earning the minimum contract next season. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Porter turned down the mid-level exception elsewhere to team up with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
This is an excellent move from Golden State, given the way it plays. The 28-year-old shot 40.0 percent from three for the Bulls last year and made a remarkable 44.1 percent from behind the arc across 77 games for Washington in 2017. He is particularly effective off the catch and shoot and will benefit from the talented playmakers around him.
Much of the focus from teams playing the Warriors will be on stopping Curry and Thompson, and Porter will not only provide another scoring threat but will ensure opposition teams have to guard him at the arc, spacing the floor for the team’s superstar guards to work their magic.