Michael Porter Jr. is still destined for the NBA and the millions of dollars that come with it, but after a disappointing season at Missouri that included just three games, he is no longer a contender to be the first overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday in Brooklyn.
Which is why, last month, as Porter prepared to leave his Chicago apartment and head to the NBA Draft Combine — where he’d tell reporters that he was the best player in this year’s field of prospects — the 6-foot-10 forward shared a wish.
“If a kid is ready to go to the NBA out of high school, let him go,” Porter said in reference to the league’s rule that draft-eligible prospects be a year removed from their prep career.