Kevin Porter Jr. girlfriend harassment case: Rockets' guard plea deal over assault on Kysre Gondrezick

Earlier this year, former Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was arrested on domestic violence charges. He was accused of attacking his girlfriend at the time, former WNBA player Kysre Gondrezick. On Tuesday afternoon, updates regarding his case were revealed.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Kevin Porter Jr. has reached a plea deal in his case. He has accepted charges of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment. If he is able to successfully complete a program ordered by the court, he'll be able to withdraw his plea in a year's time.

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Per Porter Jr.'s lawyer, this arrangement will allow him to get past this situation without anything going on his criminal record.

"The resolution will allow Mr. Porter to put this incident, which involved false felony allegations and false facts, behind him with no criminal record and move forward," Porter's lawyers said in a statement.

Porter Jr. was the 30th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He spent his first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Houston Rockets. Not long after this news first broke, the Rockets traded him to the OKC Thunder, who waived him right after the deal was finalized.

How does this news affect a possible Kevin Porter Jr. return to NBA?

As this situation seems to be resolving itself, the door might start to open on Kevin Porter Jr. making a return to the NBA. While it seems unlikely, nothing should be ruled out at the moment.

Since he won't be facing any jail time and could eventually have these charges dropped, Porter Jr. could attempt to return to the league. At 23-years-old, he could still be considered a younger prospect. Last season, Porter Jr. averaged 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists in 59 games for the Houston Rockets.

NBA teams might be able to sign Porter Jr., but that does not mean franchises will be lining up anytime soon. Still only four months removed from the story breaking, no organization is going to take on that kind of baggage. The talent does not outweigh the heat and media attention that would come with signing Porter Jr. in the near future.

Recent history suggests that Porter Jr. has some chance of resuming his NBA career in the future. Miles Bridges was caught up in a domestic violence case last year, and has since returned to the Charlotte Hornets. The former lottery pick has played in 30 games this season and is averaging 20.9 PPG and 7.0 RPG.