Otto Porter Jr. Player Option Deadline With Chicago Bulls Pushed To October

Monday was originally supposed to be the deadline for Chicago Bulls forward Otto Porter Jr. to make a decision on his $28,489,239 player option for the 2020-21 NBA season. With the NBA calendar pushed back months thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, Porter’s deadline day has also been delayed.

With free agency set to begin at 6 p.m. ET on Oct. 18, Porter now has a player option deadline of Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. ET, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Given the circumstances, though, Porter should already have his mind made up. After a disastrous 2019-20 campaign, the 27-year-old should take the money and run before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2021.

Porter played just 14 games for the Bulls this season due to a foot injury that kept him out for nearly four months. He was awful to start the season in October amid rumors of a nagging hip injury, which he insisted was nothing despite the Bulls monitoring him, and then he suffered the foot injury in the ninth game of the season after it looked like he was finally starting to get a rhythm.

Porter appeared in five games off the bench upon his return to the lineup, showing signs of his scoring ability before the NBA season was put on hold. He averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21.0 minutes per game while shooting 48.2% overall and 36.4% on 3-pointers in that abbreviated stint. For the whole season, he averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game while shooting 44.3% from the field and 38.7% from 3-land.

The Bulls were hoping for a lot more after Porter showed out with the team upon his arrival via trade in February 2019. In 15 games with Chicago last season before shutting things down, the former Wizards forward went for 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 32.8 minutes per game while shooting an impressive 48.3% overall and 48.8% on 3-pointers.

Expecting that type of efficiency to be sustained was too much to ask, but Chicago was banking on finally having a steady presence at the small forward spot. Porter’s injury woes and the lack of quality wing depth on the roster played a key role in the Bulls’ disappointing 2019-20 season. Chicago actually outscored opponents by 3.2 points per 100 possessions in Porter’s 331 minutes this season, per NBA.com, which helps illustrate his importance.

While Porter is an impactful player when healthy, his injury issues are a long-term concern. The idea of getting security on a new deal this offseason may sound nice, but his health red flags plus the lack of cap space around the league and the general financial uncertainty means there’s little chance of a lucrative deal coming his way. The Bulls certainly shouldn’t be in the business of committing any long-term money to him. He’s eligible for a veteran extension on Oct. 18, but this shouldn’t be a consideration.

Hence, exercising that hefty player option worth nearly $28.5 million is the no-brainer play. He can cash in on that massive salary for a year and try to build his value back up for 2021 free agency, when there should be more money around the league.

Porter may attempt to rebuild his value with the Bulls, but they should also be on the lookout for any possible trades. While his salary is bloated, the fact that he’ll be on an expiring deal could help. If anything, a more likely outcome is Porter being on the roster to start the 2020-21 season as Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley evaluate the Bulls’ personnel, with a trade coming closer to the deadline.