Jontay Porter

Jontay Porter is an American professional basketball player, born on November 15, 1999. Currently, he is associated with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Toronto Raptors. His contract allows him the leverage to play for both the Toronto Raptors and their G League affiliate, the Raptors 905. For his early basketball training, Porter benefitted from his college time at the Missouri Tigers. However, he wasn’t initially part of the recruiting class of 2018 but made an impressive leap a year earlier to join his older brother, Michael Porter Jr., at Missouri. His sports journey began at the Father Tolton Regional Catholic High School located in his hometown Columbia, Missouri. His freshman year saw him averaging 11.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for Father Tolton. Through his sophomore season, he played an instrumental part in facilitating Father Tolton’s victory in the Missouri Class 3 State Championship for the first time ever.

In his junior year, his family moved to Seattle, Washington when their father acquired an assistant coaching position at the University of Washington’s basketball team. Therefore, he had to change his academic location to Seattle’s Nathan Hale High School, where he played alongside his brothers under the guidance of former NBA All-Star Brandon Roy. Under Roy’s expert coaching, the brother trio made a significant contribution in Nathan Hale’s flawless 29-0 record season, earning them the Washington Class 3A State Championship. During his time at Nathan Hale High School, Porter averaged 14.3 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, which allowed him to develop a solid reputation as a player.

While initially enlisted as a recruit for the class of 2018 and even positioned as 11th overall by ESPN, his older brother’s continuation of his games for the University of Missouri in their hometown caused a ripple effect. Porter moved onto Missouri University from the University of Washington, coming after Brandon Roy switched his coaching from Nathan Hale to Garfield High School. Simultaneously, Porter adjusted his classification into the Class of 2017, effectively aligning it with his brother’s. This arrangement provided him with an opportunity to grow an additional two inches, enhancing his suitability for the roles of power forward and center.

In his first game on November 10, 2017, Porter made a resounding debut contributing to a 74-59 triumph over the Iowa State University. In less than a week, he registered himself as an emerging player with his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the 67-62 victory over Emporia State University. By January 10, 2018, Porter recorded yet another double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in their 68-56 triumph over the University of Georgia. This performance earned him a place in the starters’ list in Missouri’s next five games, though for the remainder of the season, he was placed back on the bench.

In his last game of the season, he commenced as a starter for Missouri in the NCAA Tournament, announcing his intentions on April 5 to enter the 2018 NBA draft with his brother. His decision was unique as he had not hired an agent first, allowing for the possibility of his return for an additional year at Missouri. Subsequently, he chose to refrain from taking his chances at the NBA Draft and decided to continue at Missouri.

In unfortunate circumstances, Porter tore his ACL and MCL during practice and had to opt out of his sophomore season on October 21, 2018. On top of that, while rehabilitating, he experienced another ACL tear on March 23, 2019. Despite these setbacks, Porter was an early participant in the 2019 NBA draft and part of the primary sixty-six players enlisted in the 2019 NBA Draft Combine.

Though he went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, he signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies on March 8, 2020. On November 22, 2020, the Memphis Grizzlies confirmed Porter’s extended association via a multi-year contract. However, his journey with the Grizzlies came to a halt on July 30, 2021, after making only 11 appearances.

In his latter career, he joined the Denver Nuggets for the 2022 NBA Summer League and was named the opening night roster for the Wisconsin Herd on November 3, 2022. A year later, he signed with the Detroit Pistons on October 2, 2023, but was waived after a short stint on October 21. After nine days, he joined the Motor City Cruise and eventually marked his association with the Toronto Raptors on December 9, 2023.

Away from the court, Porter shares a strong bond with his two older sisters, Bri and Cierra, who had to medically retire from sports due to consistent leg injuries. However, Cierra decided to return to the court for her final year at the University of Missouri. His older brother, Michael, continues to flourish in his tireless pursuit of basketball glory with the Denver Nuggets.