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Craig Porter Jr.

Cleveland Cavaliers · #9 · Rotation
PG6'1"180 lbage 263 yrs expWichita StateTerre Haute, IN
6th best of 9 on CLEworth +2.3 wins to the rotation
OFF72DEF86
Elite rim protector & rebounder
CLE
Cleveland Cavaliers
Eastern · Central · proj. 52-30 (▼4.2)
→

A defensive-minded third point guard who punches above his minutes on that end — 93rd-percentile perimeter defense and 86th in rim protection for his spot, plus 88th-percentile playmaking dishing 3.2 assists in 18 minutes. The scoring is nearly nonexistent (4.5 points, bottom-tier efficiency) and he's turnover-prone, but the defense and passing keep him useful. Team option for 2026-27.

4.5
PPG
3.4
RPG
3.2
APG
0.9
SPG
0.6
BPG
GP 64MPG 17.9FG% 453P% 35.5FT% 60TS% 52.4USG% 12.3PER 13.7BPM +2VORP 1.2
2025-26 regular season · bars are percentile at his position

NBA player ratings

0–99 · 2025-26 form
Rim protection98
Rebounding96
Perimeter defense95
Playmaking89
Inside finishing68
Scoring55
Shooting53

Skill ratings are 2025-26 per-game and advanced stats (Basketball-Reference) ranked 0–99 within position (guards vs guards, bigs vs bigs). Overall is anchored to EPM impact on a non-linear curve, nudged by these skills; Offense and Defense come from box plus-minus. A player who missed the latest season is shown from his most recent one.

Career

2023-24 to 2025-26 · 3 seasons
4.6
PPG
2.4
RPG
2.4
APG
166
GAMES
Points 762Win Shares 5.3Starts 10Best season 2025-26 · 4.5 ppg
Games played, last three seasons68%

Regular season, 2003-04 onward (Basketball-Reference). Averages are weighted by games played; honours count awards won, not finishes. “Current players” means the 802 who played in the last three seasons.

Trajectory

2023-24 → 2025-26 · age 23 → 25
▲Rising

Craig, at 25, is on a clear upward trajectory — 1.9 → 3.4 wins of value over the window.

Age curve▬ On curve
Developing about on schedule for his age.
2026-27 forecast▲ 4.6 wins (+1.2)
Age should add a little at 26. Range 3.3–5.8 wins.
Production (BPM)+0.5 → +2.0+1.526-27 forecast +1.8
His per-possession game has clearly sharpened.
2023-24: +0.5 · 51 games2024-25: +1.1 · 51 games2025-26: +2.0 · 64 games2026-27: +1.8 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Value to team (wins)1.9 → 3.4+1.526-27 forecast 4.6
He's worth more wins to a team than he was.
2023-24: 1.9 · 51 games2024-25: 1.9 · 51 games2025-26: 3.4 · 64 games2026-27: 4.6 (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Contract value2026-27: worth $13.1M vs $2.4M salary+$10.7M
His play is projected to be worth more than he is paid.
$2.4M salary2023-24: $4.4M · 51 games2024-25: $4.4M · 51 games2025-26: $7.9M · 64 games2026-27: $13.1M (forecast)23-2425-2626-27
Current deal: $2,406,205 cap hit · through '27. On the contract row the flat dashed line is this salary, so the gap to the 2026-27 forecast is the surplus.

Seasons from Basketball-Reference (2023-24 → 2025-26). Production is box plus-minus, a per-possession measure. Value is VORP-based wins, so it also counts games played. Contract value is what each season’s play would fetch on the open market. The dotted 2026-27 point is a forecast: his established level, a year older, assuming a normal season.

Contract

2026-27
$2,406,205Team option
1% of the club’s payroll · 10th of 13 priced deals
Runs through1 season
Est. market value$13,067,258 /yr
Surplus+$10,661,053
BARGAINworth more than he is paid

Market value is an estimate, not a reported figure: what his play is forecast to fetch on the open market in 2026-27 — his current rating, a year older. Cap thresholds are projected for 2026-27 until the league sets them.

Plays like

same position

Nearest skill profiles across the seven rating axes — who he plays like, not who is as good. The rating beside each name answers that second question.