Ex-Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. reaches plea deal after domestic assault arrest

Content warning: This story includes description of alleged domestic violence.

Former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. reached a plea deal Tuesday in his domestic assault case in New York, according to The Associated Press.

Porter pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and a harassment violation after he was involved in an incident last fall at a Manhattan hotel in which he allegedly attacked his girlfriend. As part of his plea deal, per the report, Porter must complete a 26-week domestic violence program and abide by a limited order of protection, among other things. If he complies with the deal, he can withdraw his assault plea in a year, avoid all jail time and effectively clear his criminal record.

Porter’s lawyers, Phillip Jobe and Stephanie Kelemen, said in a statement that the resolution will allow their client to "move forward."

Porter was arrested in September after police said he attacked his girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, in their hotel room in New York. Police said Porter punched Gondrezick in the face, wrapped his hands around her neck and strangled her. Gondrezick later refuted prosecutors’ claims and said that her injuries were the result of her falling and hitting her head when Porter arrived at their room. One charge was later dropped.

Porter started this season with the Rockets, though he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in November after his arrest. He was immediately waived by the Thunder, and he hasn’t played since his arrest.

Porter was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks out of USC with the No. 30 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He spent his rookie season with the Cavaliers before he was traded to the Rockets in 2021.

Porter averaged a career-high 19.2 points and 5.7 assists per game last season with the Rockets, his third with the team. It’s unclear if he will attempt to land elsewhere in the league or if a team will give him another chance.