CRAIG PORTER JR. NEWS

Back to bench Porter won't start Friday's game against the Bucks.

Impact Porter drew four straight starts with Donovan Mitchell (illness) and Darius Garland (jaw) sidelined, but he'll head back to the bench to make room for Mitchell's return. Porter has been a surprise contributor for Cleveland this season and should still garner a rotational role off the bench until Garland is cleared to suit up again.

DECEMBER 29, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Craig Porter Jr. Is Becoming The Cavaliers' Much-Needed Floor General With three point guards out of Cleveland’s lineup long-term, the undrafted 23-year-old is the only NBA rookie averaging at least 10 points,...

DECEMBER 28, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Posts well-rounded stat line in win Porter finished with nine points (4-11 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists, one block and three steals in 30 minutes during Wednesday's 113-110 victory over Dallas.

Impact Porter shot a mediocre 4-for-11 from the field, but he excelled elsewhere to help guide Cleveland to victory. The undrafted rookie recorded season highs with 12 boards and three steals while racking up seven dimes over 30 minutes. Porter has started four straight games in the absence of Donovan Mitchell (illness), averaging 10.3 points, 8.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over that span. He'll likely revert to a less prominent role when Mitchell returns, but Porter has at least made a case for a meaningful spot in the rotation moving forward.

DECEMBER 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Stellar play continues Porter closed Saturday's 109-95 victory over Chicago with 19 points (8-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 2-5 FT), seven rebounds, eight assists, one block and one steal across 39 minutes. He also ha...

Impact Porter's triple-threat skills, two-way play, and overall poise have been eye-catching. Averaging 16.1 points, 7.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per-36 minutes, Porter is the only undrafted rookie in NBA history to hit those thresholds, doing so by a wide margin as well. He's earned a key rotation role for Cleveland.

DECEMBER 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Craig Porter Jr. Leads Cavs To Victory Over Bulls Craig Porter Jr. scored 19 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Chicago Bulls.

DECEMBER 24, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Craig Porter Jr. Leads Cavs To Victory Over Bulls Craig Porter Jr. scored 19 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the Chicago Bulls.

DECEMBER 24, 2023 • KANSASCITY.COM

Tallies 11 assists in defeat Porter chipped in seven points (3-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three rebounds, 11 assists and one steal over 29 minutes during Thursday's 123-104 loss to the Pelicans.

Impact The 23-year-old drew his second consecutive start Thursday with Donovan Mitchell (illness) sidelined once again, and Porter dished out double-digit assists for the first time this season. Over his last two starts, Porter has averaged 6.5 points, 8.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 27.0 minutes per game. While his role should decline once Mitchell is back in action, the Cavaliers are playing without Darius Garland (jaw) for multiple weeks, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Porter see fairly regular playing time off the bench.

DECEMBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Delivers in spot start Porter accumulated six points (2-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks in 25 minutes during Wednesday's 124-116 victory over the Jazz.

Impact With Donovan Mitchell (illness) in street clothes, Porter got the start and contributed strong secondary numbers while leaving it to players like Caris LeVert and Sam Merrill to replace Mitchell's offense. Porter hasn't scored in double digits in six straight games while spotting in and out of the lineup and seeing more than 15 minutes only twice, but the rookie guard has shown he can be productive when he gets a chance, making him an intriguing DFS option on nights when there's a bigger role available for him.

DECEMBER 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Set to start Wednesday Porter is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Jazz, Spencer Davies of BasketballNews.com reports.

Impact Porter will replace Donovan Mitchell (illness) in the starting five Wednesday. Porter tallied 16 points, five assists, two rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 35 minutes during his only other starting appearances this season.

DECEMBER 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Only nine minutes Monday Porter posted three points (1-2 FG, 1-1 3Pt), three assists and one steal in nine minutes during Monday's 135-130 overtime win over Houston.

Impact Porter played just nine minutes in the win, a far cry from what he was doing the last time the Cavaliers were playing injured. Since the injury to Darius Garland (jaw), Porter has played a total of just 23 minutes across two games. He might be worth holding for one more game if you are in a position to take some risk. For those needing immediate production, he can be released back into the wild.

DECEMBER 19, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Cavs Mailbag: Starters' Three-Point Rate, Why No Craig Porter Jr.? Spencer Davies answers Cleveland Cavaliers fans’ questions before the team’s game against the Detroit Pistons on the road.

DECEMBER 2, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Back to bench Porter will come off the bench for Saturday's game against the Lakers.

Impact No surprise here, as Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) is back in the lineup after a four-game absence. Porter has played very well in recent games and likely earned himself a rotation spot.

NOVEMBER 25, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Earned spot in rotation Coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Friday that Porter has earned the opportunity to be a permanent part of the rotation even when the Cavaliers are back to full strength, Evan Dammarell o...

Impact With Cleveland battling numerous injuries, the undrafted rookie out of Wichita State has scored in double figures in four straight games, averaging 15.3 points, 5.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in 25.8 minutes during that stretch. However, Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) and Isaac Okoro (knee) were back at practice Friday and are trending toward a return to game action, which would theoretically push Porter out of the rotation. Bickerstaff's comments suggest that won't be the case, but it's hard to imagine Porter garnering a fantasy-relevant role when Mitchell, Okoro, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Max Strus are all available.

NOVEMBER 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Will make first career start Porter will start Wednesday's game against the Heat, Cayleigh Griffin of Bally Sports Cleveland reports.

Impact With Donovan Mitchell (hamstring), Isaac Okoro (knee) and Dean Wade (ankle) all out, Porter will slide into the starting lineup for the first time in his career. The rookie excelled in extended minutes Tuesday, posting 12 points (5-9 FG) and nine assists in 27 minutes during an overtime win over the 76ers.

NOVEMBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Nears double-double Tuesday Porter finished with 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-2 FT), nine assists, three rebounds and one block across 27 minutes in Tuesday's 122-119 overtime win over the 76ers.

Impact The two-way rookie has continued to impress while stepping into a pronounced role while Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) has missed the last three games and Caris LeVert (knee) has missed the last two games. In the last three contests, Porter has averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks in 22.7 minutes, though his scoring production has been propped up by 60.7 percent shooting from the field. Porter will eventually see his role decrease when Mitchell and LeVert are back in action, but expect the young guard to see expanded playing time again Wednesday versus the Heat while Mitchell and another key rotation piece in Isaac Okoro (knee) are both out. LeVert, meanwhile, is listed as questionable, and his potential absence for another game would likely translate to even more minutes and usage for Porter.

NOVEMBER 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Erupts for 21 points Porter amassed 21 points (7-10 FG, 7-7 FT), four rebounds, four assists, one block and two steals across 25 minutes during Sunday's 121-109 win over Denver.

Impact Porter is on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers, but when his name was called in the absence of Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) and Caris LeVert (knee), he delivered in a big way and gave the coaching staff something to think about. He was also impressive in his previous outing Friday against the Pistons, scoring 12 points with five assists, three rebounds and one steal. If the Cavaliers are shorthanded again Tuesday against the 76ers, Porter could be an intriguing fantasy option.

NOVEMBER 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Active on defensive end Porter contributed 10 points (5-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals across 22 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 109-91 loss to New York.

Impact The Cavaliers were very short-handed Tuesday with Darius Garland (hamstring), Jarrett Allen (ankle) and Caris LeVert (hamstring) all in street clothes, which afforded extra opportunities to some of their young players once the game got away in the second half. Porter responded with solid all-around numbers, and if Garland and LeVert in particular miss further time, the 23-year-old undrafted rookie guard could be an intriguing bargain DFS option.

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Active on defensive end Porter contributed 10 points (5-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt), four rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals across 22 minutes off the bench during Tuesday's 109-91 loss to New York.

Impact The Cavaliers were short-handed Tuesday with Darius Garland (hamstring), Jarrett Allen (ankle) and Caris LeVert (hamstring) all in street clothes, which afforded extra opportunities to some of their young players once the game got away in the second half. Porter responded with solid all-around numbers, and if Garland and LeVert in particular miss further time, the 23-year-old undrafted rookie guard could be an intriguing bargain DFS option.

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Strong outing off bench in win Porter tallied 12 points (4-7 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six assists, two rebounds and one block over 20 minutes in Monday's 120-89 preseason win over Ra'anana.

Impact Porter tallied his highest minute total of the preseason, finishing Monday's exhibition with a preseason high in scoring and assists while handing out a team-high-tying assist total in the victory. Over three preseason contests, Porter has averaged 7.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds per game.

OCTOBER 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE