Uncertainty surrounded Otto Porter Jr.’s role with the Utah Jazz after he was acquired in a trade that sent Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji to the Toronto Raptors. It was unclear if Porter would be waived, become a buyout candidate, or play for the team. However, Porter’s health status now seems to be the biggest concern. Throughout his career, Porter has suffered from numerous injuries, including a season-ending surgery on his left foot in November 2022, just eight games into the season after signing a two-year deal with the Raptors. Although he was expected to be a regular rotation player for the Raptors this season, Porter suffered a right knee sprain in December and has not played since Dec. 30. After the trade to the Jazz, general manager Justin Zanik was asked about Porter’s status.
Zanik acknowledged that the player’s health is not at 100% and they are still evaluating his condition. However, they appreciate his presence and positive influence on the team. Porter, on the other hand, claimed to be relatively healthy and ready to play in the next game. He did mention some undisclosed issues that need to be addressed, but he trusts the team’s new training staff to help him recover. Despite this, Porter was listed as questionable for the next game and eventually ruled out due to left foot soreness. It is unclear why he was listed as questionable despite his health concerns.
