Concluding a investigation that spanned almost two years, the NBA has finally sentenced Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. for domestically abusing his ex-girlfriend. The verdict should have the 25-year-old feeling pretty lucky as he prepares to enter his sixth season.
Kevin Porter Jr. Sentence Brings Clarity for Milwaukee Bucks
Porter was still with the Houston Rockets when he assaulted his then-girlfriend in September 2023. In the aftermath, Houston promptly traded him to the Thunder along with two second-round picks. OKC then waived him.
As the case continued, Porter went unsigned for the entire 2023-24 season. As part of a plea deal, he pled guilty to the charges in January 2024. The Clippers eventually signed him ahead of last year, before flipping him to the Bucks at the deadline.
The NBA paused the investigation after Porter’s plea deal, but reopened proceedings after he gained a contract with Los Angeles. Per The Athletic’s Law Murray, that process has finally reached its end.
News @TheAthletic
The league’s investigation into Kevin Porter Jr.’s 2023 domestic violence incident has concluded, resulting in a four-game suspension.
Based on the facts and circumstances, the NBA and NBPA have agreed that the suspension is deemed to have been served.
— Law Murray 🎡 (@LawMurrayTheNU) July 17, 2025
Critically, the determination that Porter has effectively served his sentence means that he won’t face repercussions next season. For all practical purposes, the four-game suspension means absolutely nothing.
Legallly, Porter is out of the woods. His criminal record has been cleared via the plea deal. On the basketball side of things, he missed a full season as a direct result of the crime. The NBA seemingly decided that this satisfies any punishment the league would have levied.
Porter has also cost himself millions in salary. While Milwaukee re-signed him for two years and $10.5 million, including a player option, he lost out on a substantial chunk of nonguaranteed money on his Rockets contract after being traded and waived (boohoo). Even if he performs well with the Bucks, he has capped his future earnings. The charges may be wiped from his legal record, but he will not escape their shadow in contract talks.
Let’s face it: bringing back Porter might be an ethically distasteful decision, but it makes sense through the lens of cold hard business given his contributions in Milwaukee last season. In 20 bench minutes per game, he provided 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals. He shot 49% from the field, 41% on threes, and played sharp defense. He looks like the starting point guard for next season. Strictly from an on-court perspective, his performance will be crucial to team success.
Hopefully, Porter has changed as a person; maybe that hope is naive. Although the NBA’s sentence lets him off the hook, any mention of his recent past is bound to rekindle uncomfortable dialogue about the ethics of rostering players with a criminal history.
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