Cavaliers: Ranking the three best contracts on the roster
By Dan Gilinsky
#2: Kevin Porter Jr.
The second-best contract on the Cavs’ roster at the moment is Kevin Porter Jr.‘s.
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Porter was the 30th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, of which Cleveland acquired him in a deal with the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons acquired that pick from the Milwaukee Bucks originally via trade, and the draft-night deal most notably included Cleveland acquiring Porter’s rights for four future second-round picks and cash considerations.
At this point, Porter looks to be arguably the biggest steal of last year’s draft, too.
KPJ has not been a starter often this year, and Dylan Windler not playing at all has likely played into it, but Porter has gotten plenty of meaningful minutes, and is one of the most promising players on the Cavs.
Thus far going into the season’s suspension, Porter has averaged 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
Coming into the season, Porter, to help the Cavs avoid luxury tax penalties, took just 80 percent of his rookie scale amount, but even with him being set to receive 120 percent of his rookie scale in the next three seasons, he’ll still be a massive bargain at roughly $2.0 million, and then with $2.1 million and $3.8 million team options, before potentially hitting restricted free agency in the 2023 offseason.
WIth Porter’s upside and big-time potential on both ends of the floor as a pick-and-roll creator, fearless driver, catch-and-shoot three-point shooter and with him being able to guard multiple positions, his deal is a notable bargain for Cleveland general manager Koby Altman and company in the next few years.
Lastly, the best contract currently on Cleveland’s roster belongs to a player who is a relentless scorer that’s shown growth in other areas.