Veteran forward Otto Porter Jr. has surprisingly declared his retirement from the NBA on Monday, March 11, concluding an 11-season career in the league.
"For the past 11 years, I had the chance to live my lifelong dream of playing in the NBA. That dream was capped by winning an NBA Championship! Unfortunately, my body is not allowing me to play at the level that I expect of myself, and I have therefore decided to retire," the 30-year-old said.
Porter Jr. was under contract with the Utah Jazz, having been acquired by the team during the NBA trade deadline on February 8.
The trade involved the Jazz giving up Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agabji in exchange for Otto Porter Jr., Kira Lewis Jr., and the least favorable 2024 first-round pick from the Clippers, Thunder, Rockets, and Jazz.
However, he couldn't step on the court for the Jazz, who waived him earlier today before his retirement announcement.
The 6-foot-8 player was a vital member of the Golden State Warriors roster that won the NBA championship in the 2021-22 season. He started in the championship-clinching Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics.
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Injuries plagued Otto Porter Jr.'s career
Since departing from Golden State after the 2022 championship, Porter Jr. has only participated in 23 games over the past two seasons with the Toronto Raptors.
The 2021-22 campaign was an exception for Porter Jr., as, apart from that year, where he played 63 games, he has not participated in more than 60 games in the regular season since 2017-18.
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