NBA star Kevin Porter Jr. has been arrested on suspicion of allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. found himself in legal trouble as he was arrested and charged with assault and strangulation following an incident at a New York hotel on Monday morning, according to a spokesperson from the New York City police.

The arrest unfolded after police received a 911 call reporting an assault at 6:45 a.m., leading to Porter’s apprehension after a subsequent investigation. Both of these charges carry felony implications.

Sources close to the situation revealed that the incident involved Porter’s girlfriend, a former WNBA player. The police spokesperson detailed the incident, stating, “Upon arrival, officers were informed that a 26-year-old female sustained a laceration to the right side of her face and was complaining about pain to her neck. A preliminary investigation on scene determined that a known individual struck her multiple times upon her body and placed his hands around the neck.” The injured woman was transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

The Houston Rockets released a brief statement in response to the incident, saying, “We are in the process of gathering information surrounding the matter involving Kevin Porter Jr. We have no further comment at this time.”

The NBA acknowledged Porter’s arrest as well, with spokesman Mike Bass issuing a statement: “The league office is in contact with the Houston Rockets and in the process of gathering more information.”

While the NBA conducts its investigation, the Rockets are unable to impose immediate penalties on Porter, including suspension. According to the league’s domestic violence policy, Commissioner Adam Silver possesses the authority to place Porter on administrative leave with pay for “a reasonable period of time.” Depending on the outcome of the case, the commissioner has the discretion to impose fines, suspensions, dismissals, or disqualifications from any further association with the league and its teams in the event of a player violating the domestic violence policy.

Notably, Porter signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $82.5 million last season. However, the contract is only partially guaranteed due to Porter’s history of off-court issues. If the Rockets were to eventually waive Porter based on the results of this investigation or a criminal conviction, they would be responsible for only the remaining $16.9 million of guaranteed money on his contract.

Porter was initially selected as the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft after a single season at USC, during which he faced suspension due to conduct issues. He spent his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers but did not rejoin the team for the following season due to personal reasons. In January 2021, he was traded to the Rockets for a top-55-protected second-round pick following a heated dispute with Cleveland team officials.