‘Hugs, smiles, tears’: Wichita State’s Craig Porter beats the odds to fulfill NBA dream

Surrounded by family and friends in his hometown of Terre Haute, Indiana, Craig Porter Jr. tried to play coy.

After the former Wichita State basketball star did not hear his name called in the NBA Draft last Thursday, those in the watch party were left to wonder what would be next to Porter.

Little did they know Porter and his agent, Ryan Straining, were on top of the situation and had hammered out an agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers within minutes following the conclusion of the draft.

“A lot of them didn’t really know what to expect, but really everything me and my agent thought would happen is what happened,” Porter told The Eagle in a phone interview. “Once I told everybody, it was nothing but hugs, smiles and tears.”

It was a life-changing moment for Porter after signing a two-way contract with the Cavaliers that not only takes him to the doorstep of playing in the NBA but also nets him a first-year salary of approximately $551,000.

Both have long been dreams for Porter, who was still trying to make sense of his new reality.

He grew up the youngest and scrawniest of three brothers, navigating poverty and the challenges that came with it. He flunked off of his high school basketball team his freshman year and didn’t even play sophomore year. There were so many landmines that could have derailed Porter along the way that a career in basketball was a long shot, but he persevered.

He started going back to school again, improved his grades, landed an opportunity with a nearby Indiana junior college and played a role in Vincennes winning the 2019 NJCAA national championship. He came to Wichita State to play for one coach, stayed through a coaching change, stayed through a pandemic, stayed through the transfer portal, won a championship and left as a fan favorite.

He never forgot where he came from, routinely buying food and water for people in need in downtown Wichita. And now the underdog who grew up on Spruce Street has overcome all of the adversity to be on the brink of reaching the NBA.

“I think about all of the hard work I’ve put in and all of the years of sacrifice that my parents made for me,” Porter said. “It really just shows that as long as you keep the right mindset and work hard, you can achieve almost anything because I feel like I’ve beat almost all of the odds there are.”

Porter also beat the odds in the pre-draft process, as he had very little buzz as a legitimate NBA prospect when he left Wichita State. His stats — 13.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks — from this past season were nice, but he was still overlooked.

That is until Straining, his agent, put him in front of NBA scouts at showcase events where they could see with their own eyes how Porter stuffed the stat sheet. It’s not every day scouts see a 6-foot-2 point guard who can sky above crowds for rebounds and swat shots at the rate like Porter.

“The one thing that drew teams in (during pre-draft workouts) was the defense that I was showcasing,” Porter said. “So they knew defense was one of my strengths, then once they got to see me in person, they saw how good I was offensively and that I could actually shoot the ball and make plays for others. I showed I could do a little bit of everything and I think (the Cavs) liked that I was the full package.”

In April, Porter was mentally preparing himself to begin his professional career somewhere overseas. He was hoping to receive a Summer League invitation and an Exhibit-10 contract, similar to what former Shockers Jaime Echenique and Tyson Etienne signed, if he was lucky.

By June, Porter and his agent agreed they were not settling for anything less than a two-way contract, which is the next-best thing to being drafted.

Each NBA team has only three such contracts to hand out, which allows two-way players to fluctuate between the NBA roster and the G League affiliate, which in Porter’s case is also located in Cleveland. He’s already begun training in the Cavs’ facilities and has a goal in mind for his first season.

“I want to show them why I should be on the NBA roster,” Porter said. “I want to showcase everything that I’ve been doing and just keep doing my thing. I’m just going to control what I can control and whenever they need me, I’m going to be ready. I’ve already been improving every day since I’ve been here, so it’s just a matter of time when the chance comes and when it comes, I’m going to be ready for it.”

Porter is slated to make his professional debut when he plays for the Cavaliers’ Summer League team in Las Vegas. The team’s first game is scheduled against Brooklyn at 7:30 p.m. C.T. on Friday, July 7, with the television broadcast on NBA TV.

He is set to join an NBA roster that won 51 games last season, appeared in the playoffs and features star players such as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.

Porter is still getting used to the idea that he could soon be facing LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, but it’s an idea he sure could get used to.

“Honestly, I still think it hasn’t hit me all the way,” Porter said. “Honestly, it’s a little crazy to me just hearing you say those names. But it’s my job now and I’m going to stay humble and try not to get too star-struck about anything like that. I understand the position that I’m in, but I don’t think it will truly hit me fully until I’m actually on an NBA court.”