With the final pick of the first round in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected USC shooting guard Kevin Porter Jr. He will reportedly be traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That's via the Detroit Pistons in the earlier Tony Snell deal.
Averaging 14 points on 53.8 percent shooting from the floor across his first five appearances with the Trojans, Porter was widely considered a top-10 pick after a hot start. But a combination of inconsistency, injuries, and a mid-season suspension caused the Seattle native's draft stock to dip.
Porter is, without doubt, a lottery talent, and he showed glimpses of that during his lone collegiate season. He can score in bunches and provide instant offense off the bench for an NBA team. But he struggles to remain involved when the ball isn't in his hands, and that could ultimately prevent him from unlocking his full potential.
Bio
Position: SG
School: USC
College Experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 217 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-9
Max vertical: 34 inches
Strengths
- Capable of creating his own shot; his tight handle and smooth footwork set up his preferred step-back jumper
- Has ideal size and strength to hold his own at the two
- Possesses NBA range from distance (41.2 percent shooter from distance); can pull up or catch and shoot from downtown
- Difficult to guard in open space once he gets a head of steam
Weaknesses
- Should be getting to the charity stripe more often, considering his build (averaged 2.2 free-throw attempts per game)
- Becomes disengaged at times; needs to avoid in-game lapses in focus
- Needs to improve his decision-making; had more turnovers (39) than assists (30)
- Some character concerns after USC suspended him for "personal conduct issues" relating to his off-court behavior
