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Ahead of the 48-hour timeframe to do so, the Washington Wizards came through on their reported intention to match the Brooklyn Nets’ four-year, $106 million offer sheet to Otto Porter. That puts them in a tough position in regard to the salary cap, but keeping their core group together became a priority.
The Wizards have one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA in John Wall and Bradley Beal, but Porter finally found his place last year. He had a breakout season, averaging 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 43.4 percent from beyond the arc (fourth in the league).
Porter was also top-10 in the NBA in effective field goal percentage (60.8; fifth) and True Shooting Percentage (62.8; seventh). With 43 percent of his total field goal attempts coming from three-point range (4.3 per game), that kind of proficiency is remarkable and probably not repeatable.
As could be expected with two ball-dominant guards like Wall and Beal, Porter only had a 15.1 percent usage rate in 2016-17. That was a drop from 16.2 percent in 2015-16, despite playing more games and minutes. Fantastic efficiency drove Porter’s breakout campaign, including a league-best 4.9 percent turnover rate and a 129.1 offensive rating (tied for second-best in the league).
Porter’s usage rate would have surely risen dramatically with the Nets, or virtually any other team with the cap space to secure him as a restricted free agent. He will need increased touch volume to fully repeat his 2016-17 breakout, and unless Wall or Beal miss significant time next season he won’t get it with the Wizards.
Porter is not without fantasy value for next season, as he will stay in a good overall situation with a defined role that seems to suit him. But drafting him based on a repeat of last season will be unwise, and his 2015-16 numbers (11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, 47.3 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc) are more in line with where expectations should be set.