Some difficult news out of Toronto this afternoon, as the team announced that Otto Porter jr. has undergone season-ending foot surgery. The surgery was successful. It is on his left foot, the same foot which suffered a dislocated toe a few months earlier.
“This was a tough decision for Otto, he had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health.” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said. “We look forward to his healthy recovery.”
Porter averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in eight games this season. The numbers weren’t what the team must have hoped when it used its midlevel exception on him in the offseason, but he never was able to round into form after an injury before the season. The hope before the season was that he would help the Raptors primarily as a shooter, but also as a cutter and defender. None of that has panned out.
Porter has a player option on his contract for next season, and given his inability to play more than eight games due to injury, you would expect him to opt in to his contract and remain with the Raptors. The hope now has to be that he takes the year to rest and rehabilitate and returns next season ready to go and provide the value the team intended when it signed him. He remains a talented player, just one the team now has to wait until the 2023-24 season to utilize.
