Key Offseason Addition For Toronto Raptors Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery
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The Toronto Raptors have been struggling this season at 17-23 and arguably their biggest offseason addition is now done for the year.
Otto Porter Jr., who signed a two-year, $12.3 million deal with Toronto in the offseason, recently underwent left foot surgery that will abruptly put an end to his season, the team announced on Tuesday.
Playing in eight games this year for the Raptors, Porter averaged 5.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in about 18.3 minutes per game.
Throughout the course of his now 10-year NBA career, Porter has constantly faced challenges in regards to injuries.
Last season with the Golden State Warriors was the first time he had logged at least 60 appearances in a season since the 2017-18 season when he was with the Washington Wizards.
“This was a tough decision for Otto, he had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health.” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said in a press release. “We look forward to his healthy recovery.”
Making $6 million this season, Otto Porter Jr. does have a $6.2 million player option for the 2023-24 season that he will need to make a decision on in the summer. There is a possibility that he could opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent, but given that his season is ending short due to yet another injury, he may just stay in Toronto and finish out his current deal.
According to ESPN’s front-office insider Bobby Marks, Toronto has until January 15 to apply for a Disabled Player Exception due to Porter’s injury and this exception would be worth $3 million.
Where the Raptors go from here is a big question mark, as they are a team that will be very much involved in trade conversations heading towards the trade deadline.
They currently find themselves outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture entirely and with players such as Gary Trent Jr. and O.G. Anunoby being brought up in trade rumors, it is possible that the Raptors take a step back to re-evaluated themselves moving forward.
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