On Monday night, the Utah Jazz announced that former Washington Wizards lottery pick Otto Porter Jr. would be retiring from the NBA after 11 seasons. The decision comes shortly after Porter was waived by the Jazz.
Otto Porter Jr. announced he’s retiring:
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 12, 2024
“For the past 11 years, I had the chance to live my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA,” said Porter Jr. “That dream was capped by winning an NBA Championship! Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I…
At this year's trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors swapped Porter, Kira Lewis, and a first-round pick with the Jazz in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji. However, Porter never debuted for Utah, stepping away from the team to access his options as a potential buyout candidate. Having appeared in just 23 games for the Raptors over the past two seasons, Porter averaged 3.6 points in 13.9 minutes per game in his time with Toronto.
Remembering Otto Porter Jr.'s time in D.C.
After finishing the 2012-13 season with a 29-53 record, the Wizards earned the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and used it to select Porter. The selection was well-received by fans as the 6'8" forward played his college games at Georgetown University, a school with a deep-rooted history in the District's basketball scene.
Although he played very sparingly during his rookie season, Porter began to come into his own during the 2015 playoffs. Coming off the bench in the Wizards' first-round series of the Raptors, Porter posted a positive plus-minus in each game. Washington swept Toronto in four games, with Porter shooting 63.2% from the field throughout the series.
The first double-double of his NBA career came in Game 2 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Hawks, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Although Washington would go on to lose the series, Porter had proven himself as a dependable option for the Wizards.
Going forward, Porter had solidified himself as a regular starter in the Wizards' rotation, starting 258 games for Washington between the 2015-16 season and when he was traded to the Chicago Bulls partway through the 2018-19 campaign. Throughout his career as a starter, Porter averaged 12.9 points per game, shooting a very impressive 41.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Porter's single-game high for points in a Wizards uniform came on November 11, 2016, when he torched the Boston Celtics for 34 points. His scoring contributions were crucial to a 118-93 Wizards win as Bradley Beal left the game due to a hamstring injury and John Wall was ejected after committing a flagrant foul.
Despite the Wizards failing to reach the ultimate goal during his six seasons in Washington, Porter reached the mountain top with the Golden State Warriors, defeating the Boston Celtics in six games in the 2022 NBA Finals.