Toronto Raptors sign Otto Porter Jr. to multi-year contract
The Toronto Raptors have officially signed forward Otto Porter Jr. to a multi-year contract.
Porter was a key piece of the Golden State Warriors' championship squad this past season, averaging 5.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 19.5 minutes in 19 playoff games.
The deal was first reported last week, but the Raptors waited until Wednesday to introduce their newest signing to the media at the club's practice facility, the OVO Athletic Centre in Toronto.
The six-foot-eight forward wasted no time in appealing to Raptors fans. As he took the first question, he immediately began singing Toronto’s praises.
“I love the city," said Porter, who cited his experience playing the Raptors during his years with the Washington Wizards, as well as the fact that his wife is from Toronto. “It just made sense.”
The signing made a lot of sense for the Raptors as well.
Porter fits right into the on-court vision of the Raptors' front office, who have built a team with players of his length and skill in mind.
“I think with this team, we’re capable of going very far in the playoffs. With this team, we’re capable of going back to the Finals,” said Porter, who boasts a 73-inch wingspan “This core grew up together … the older guys won a championship here, they’ve been there they’ve done it.”
The NBA veteran also shot 37 per cent from three-point range for the Warriors in 2022, mainly in a bench role. That long-range touch, plus his dogged defence, made him a coveted piece for Toronto this off-season.
“We believe that Otto — who understands what it takes to be an NBA champion — is a great addition to the Raptors," general manager Bobby Webster said in a statement. “He’s a versatile defender and high-level shooter who fits well with our team both on and off the court.”
A native of St. Louis, Porter has averaged 10.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in his career.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.