Busting Brackets
Fansided

NBA Draft 2019: 10 most intriguing undrafted free agent prospects

By Sam Jarrett

HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 29: Quinn Cook #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the South Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at NRG Stadium on March 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 29: Quinn Cook #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the South Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at NRG Stadium on March 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 11
Next
ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 08: Jontay Porter
ST LOUIS, MO – MARCH 08: Jontay Porter /

Jontay Porter, C, Missouri Tigers

It’s not difficult to see why Jontay Porter fell. He tore his ACL and MCL in a closed scrimmage in October, causing him to miss the entirety of his sophomore season for Missouri, and then re-tore his ACL at the end of March. He’s coming off of a recent surgery and likely won’t be able to play next season.

It doesn’t help that his brother, Michael Porter Jr., also has a history with injuries. The former top recruit suffered a back injury that kept him sidelined for his freshman campaign with Missouri in 2017-18, and he didn’t play this season after being taken by the Denver Nuggets with the 14th pick in last year’s draft.

So, given the prominence of injuries in his background, what is it that makes Jontay Porter an intriguing prospect? Porter is an exceptionally skilled big man who fits the modern NBA like a glove. He’s an outstanding shooter and passer for a big man, has good ball-handling ability, and is a smart defender who averaged 1.7 blocks per game during his freshman season.

The knee injuries are clearly a cause for concern, but Porter’s game was never dependent on athleticism – rather a combination of his skill and IQ, which for the most part, are superior to that of his peers. Had Porter never gotten hurt, there’s a very good chance that he would’ve been a lottery pick in this year’s draft.

He may have even been a lottery pick in last year’s draft after turning in a freshman year in which he was a vital component of an NCAA tournament team. Porter averaged 9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 36.4% on 110 perimeter attempts over the course of the season, which are impressive numbers considering that he was in a fairly limited offensive role.

Obviously, returning to school for his sophomore season turned out to be a decision that cost him a significant amount of money, but Porter can still be a valuable contributor to an NBA team in the long-term. If he manages to make it onto an NBA court, whoever signs him will be getting a top-10 talent in the draft essentially for free.

Porter was ranked 28th on Lukas Harkins’ final Big Board.

Home/NBA Draft News