Jontay Porter, the younger brother of Michael Porter Jr, was in the mix to be a late lottery pick to begin this season. However, Porter, unfortunately, tore his ACL and MCL in a scrimmage in late October.
Drafting Porter would come with considerable risk, but the risk is worth it for the Milwaukee Bucks this late into the first round. When healthy, Porter is a very skilled scorer. He is a comfortable posting up, hitting floaters, and shooting threes at 6’11”.
Despite his skill, Porter will need to get stronger if he wants to compete with opposing NBA centers. Porter also does not possess elite speed or athleticism. That does not mean that he cannot be successful. If Porter can continue to refine his skill and add muscle, he can be a very productive center similar to Al Horford.
Brook Lopez has been fantastic for the Bucks, but he is only on a one year deal. Lopez has certainly earned a raise, and the Bucks can have a replacement in Porter if they do not want to take the cap hit.
The risk would not be worth the reward for the Trail Blazers. Jusuf Nurkic is entrenched as the team’s starting center, and Zach Collins has lived up to being selected in the lottery.