The Los Angeles Clippers have signed guard Kevin Porter Jr., the team announced on Wednesday. As a result, the NBA is resuming its investigation of Porter’s domestic violence case, a league spokesperson confirmed to CBS Sports. This was first reported by The Athletic’s Law Murray.
Last September in New York, Porter, then a member of the Houston Rockets, was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation after his then-girlfriend, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick, told police that Porter had repeatedly punched her in the face and strangled her, according to a criminal complaint. The league opened an investigation into the incident, but, when the Oklahoma City Thunder waived him following a trade with the Rockets, the investigation was put on hold.
Last October, the same day that Porter was traded and waived, Gondrezick told the New York Post that, contrary to the statements attributed to her in the police report, Porter “never balled his fists up and hit me. And he definitely didn’t punch me in the face numerous times.”
Porter did not play in the NBA during the 2023-24 season. In January, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and a harassment violation. The plea deal stipulated that he could withdraw his guilty plea and effectively clear his criminal record in one year, provided that he completes a court-ordered treatment program, doesn’t get arrested again, attends all of his court dates and doesn’t violate his order of protection during that year.
In April, Porter signed with PAOK, a Greek team. He played six games in the Greek league.
Last September, at a media availability following the league’s Board of Governors meetings, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters that the league would take its time to carry out its investigation.
“The allegations here are horrific,” Silver said. “No question about it. But I don’t know anything more, of course, about the actual facts, other than reading those allegations. We have a domestic violence policy that was collectively bargained with the Players Association. Again, when I say bargained, I mean not a contentious issue. They certainly feel as strongly as we do about the issue.
“Every case, though, also depends on its unique facts. I think here when we’re not in season, there’s a little bit more of an opportunity to absorb what’s happening before we act. I think if it were a case where we were in the middle of a season, we might be compelled to do something faster. So while ultimately we’re required to be deferential to law enforcement when there’s an investigation, and clearly there’s an investigation now, I think this has given us the opportunity, because we’re not in season, training camps haven’t opened yet, to take a little bit of time here to better understand the situation.”
Silver said then that the league was “still in the process of gathering information” about the incident.
While a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Porter was accused of punching a woman in the face and ripping out her weave during an argument between the woman and Porter’s sister in August 2020, according to police reports. Porter was not charged in that case.
