Former Golden State Warriors' champion predicted to sign with pacific rival

The future of former Golden State Warriors' forward Otto Porter Jr. remains up in the air, with the 30-year-old having been moved from the Toronto Raptors to the Utah Jazz at the trade deadline.

The Athletic's Tony Jones reported last week that Utah are willing to allow Porter to explore his options, including a buyout that would allow the 2022 NBA champion to move to a team of his choice.

While the Golden State Warriors may be an option, the LA Clippers have been predicted as the landing spot for Otto Porter Jr.

Porter has been plagued by injury since leaving Golden State for Toronto after the 2022 championship, having appeared in just 23 total games since the start of last season.

The former third overall pick is believed to be healthy right now though, leaving him as a tantalizing free agent option for contending teams should a buyout be orchestrated over the coming days.

A potential reunion with the Warriors has been hinted, but in looking at predictions for five potential buyout options, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley believes the LA Clippers may be the landing spot for Porter.

"Porter fits in plenty of places—a return to Golden State seems feasible—but the Los Angeles Clippers might offer him the best opportunity in terms of both contending for a title and filling a somewhat regular role."

- Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley

The Clippers have plenty in the way of center depth with Ivica Zubac, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis, but their forward options are more limited behind the star pairing of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Buckley's right that Porter may have a more defined role at the Clippers, yet there's little doubt that a healthy version of the veteran forward would provide an upgrade to what Dario Saric is providing the Warriors right now.

Golden State have one roster spot available to use, though they're expected to leave it open to ensure there's no further addition to their exorbitant luxury tax bill. Porter averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.2 minutes per game for the Warriors in the 2021-22 season.