NBA castoff Kevin Porter Jr. is offered plea deal by New York City DA’s office in domestic violence case that could let him avoid jail time after arrest for ‘strangling girlfriend’

NBA free agent Kevin Porter Jr. was back in a Manhattan court on Monday, where New York City prosecutors offered him a plea deal that could help him avoid jail time after he was arrested in September on charges that he beat and strangled his girlfriend.

“During today’s appearance, The People made the following offer: If he pleads guilty to Assault in the Third Degree (a misdemeanor) and completes Abusive Partner Intervention Programming (APIP) or equivalent programming, and abides by the temporary protective order, “He could plead again to second-degree harassment (a misdemeanor), with a final, limited order of protection,” according to the statement provided to DailyMail.com by the district attorney’s office.

Harassment in the second degree is punishable in New York State by up to 15 days in jail, but often results in a time-served sentence. A prosecutor’s spokeswoman confirmed that Porter can avoid jail by accepting the plea deal and following the terms of the agreement.

Porter’s next court date is January 16.

The former Houston Rockets guard was arrested in midtown Manhattan on September 11 on charges that he strangled and repeatedly punched Kysre Gondrezick, a former WNBA player and his now ex-girlfriend. Prosecutors allege Gondrezick told officers that Porter struck her with a closed fist, causing a cut above her right eye.

NBA player Kevin Porter Jr. appears in court in Manhattan following his arrest in September

New York City prosecutors offered Porter a plea deal that could help him avoid jail time after he was arrested in September

Porter Jr and Kysre Gondrezick attend the Smart Tox kickoff event on September 7

Later reports claimed he broke a vertebra in her neck, but this has since been revealed to be a genetic defect and not an injury. For that reason, Manhattan prosecutors previously dropped second-degree assault charges against Porter, who now faces only charges of third-degree assault and second-degree strangulation.

Porter Jr.’s now ex-girlfriend has downplayed the alleged September 11 attack that led to his arrest, subsequent trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and his release.

“He never clenched his fists and hit me,” Gondrezick told the BBC New York Post in October. “And he certainly didn’t punch me in the face multiple times. That is a lie. I don’t have any injuries to support that.’

The alleged attack allegedly ended when Gondrezick fled the room and was discovered bloodied and bruised by hotel employees, according to prosecutors. The two have not had contact since the incident due to a protective order, which was lifted on Monday.

But while Gondrezick confirmed that she and Porter are no longer a couple, she continued to downplay the incident and insist that prosecutors are mistaken about what took place.

“It happened very quickly, not to the extent that was reported,” she told the Post. “And it was an argument that took place in the room for less than ten seconds.”

Porter was back in court in Manhattan on Monday to hear the plea deal before him

Porter and Gondrezick were dating since February 2022, but are no longer a couple

Gondrezick was taken to NYU Langone Medical Center after the alleged attack

The NBA player had reportedly returned from a night out in the early hours of September 11. Gondrezick, unhappy with how late he returned, locked the door.

Once Porter entered the room — with the help of hotel security — he allegedly attacked Gondrezick.

After his arrest, Porter was released on $75,000 bail, with the judge ordering him to stay away from Gondrezick and imposing a temporary protective order that was lifted last month.

Now Porter is a free agent.

The Rockets traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder after his arrest, and he was eventually released.

Porter had been asked to stay away from the Rockets after his arrest in New York.