Foot injury cost Porter chance at bigger role
This is the 13th in a series of player capsules from the Orlando Magic’s 2020-21 season. To see the rest, go to OrlandoSentinel.com/ magic
Otto Porter Jr., Forward
Games: 3. Games started: 0.
Per-game averages: 8.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 0 turnovers, 22.0 minutes.
Shooting: 36.0% FG, 11.1% 3FG, 100.0% FT
Contract status: Porter completed the final year of a four-year, $106.6 million deal he signed in 2017. Porter is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Top game: March 30 vs. Clippers — 13 points (5-for-10 shooting, 5-for-5 from free-throw line), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers, 12.5 Game Score
The buzz: Porter came to Orlando — along with Wendell Carter Jr. — as part of the trade package that sent Nikola Vucevic to Chicago. Porter’s arrival brought a veteran wing with a 40% career 3-point shooting mark. But Porter wasn’t able to become a more permanent part of the playing rotation as foot pain limited him to just three games.
In fact, Porter played in just 28 games for the entire season because of injuries.
He logged nearly 25 minutes in his Magic debut — a three-point loss to the Lakers — then contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists in just 21 minutes during a 103-96 win against the Clippers.
Porter had six points, three rebounds and three steals in the 115-110 overtime victory April 1 against the Pelicans, but Magic fans didn’t see him in uniform the rest of the season — a span of 24 games — as he dealt with pain in his left foot.
Porter wound up going just 1-for-9 from behind the arc in his three games, but he did provide the Magic with rebounding and defense.
The future: While Porter wasn’t able to give the Magic much in the way of on-floor production, his presence as a veteran was valuable for the team’s younger players. That would be one benefit of bringing him back.
Orlando also could use an experienced wing who is a proven 3-point shooter.
But Porter likely will seek a multiyear deal, and his asking price is bound to be more than what the Magic would want to invest in a veteran player amid a major rebuild. Porter earned $28.5 million this season, and while he likely won’t get that again, there still will be plenty of teams looking for veteran players who can shoot.
Plus, Porter’s recent injury history makes him a somewhat riskier target. He has played in just 98 games over the past three seasons. In the four seasons from 2014-2018, he averaged 77 games played.