Otto Porter Jr. attended Scott County Central High School in Sikeston, Missouri. The Porter family tree looms large in Scott County Central history. As a player there he earned All-State honors as a junior and a senior. These honors also came with winning. Otto Porter Jr. led the Braves to three consecutive Class 1 State Championships, totaling 15 titles for the school (a state-wide record). 

In his senior year, Otto poured in 30 points per game and also pulled down 14 rebounds per game. The Scott County Central Braves finished that year with a 29-2 record and another State Championship. His massive statistics and winning record helped establish himself as a 4-Star recruit. In the 2011 recruiting class, Otto was listed as the eighth-ranked power forward and 37th player overall.

The Missouri kid decided to leave his hometown and transition into bigger and better things. The 4-star small forward signed his National Letter of Intent with the Georgetown Hoyas. Otto Porter Jr. showed major improvement in each of his years as a Hoya. In his freshman year, Otto averaged 9.7 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. The following year, as a sophomore, he massively increased these numbers. In his sophomore season, Otto Porter Jr. averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Otto Porter Jr. helped the Hoyas to a 75-7 record in 2012-13, and a number 2 seed in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship Tournament. Do you remember that magical run by Florida Gulf Coast that helped the school proclaim their nickname “Dunk City?” Well, Porter’s Hoyas were a stepping stone in that piece of history, as they were knocked off by the 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in the first round of the tournament. 

Even with a disappointing end to his stint at Georgetown, Otto Porter had a lot of bright sides to look at. He was named Big East Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award. 

Otto Porter Jr.’s NBA career began in 2013 when he was selected third overall in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards. However, the Wizards had to wait for their new addition to play as he missed training camp and the first 18 games of the 2013-14 season due to an injury to his hip. When he finally got to make his NBA debut on December 6, he did not manage to score a point in 14 minutes of play. In his first NBA season, Otto set his career-high at nine points. In 2015, Otto set his new career-high with 28 points in a 114-11 win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Otto Porter Jr. proved to be a work in progress, as he steadily improved year by year. In 2016-17 he poured in a new career-high 34 points against the Boston Celtics on November 9. In that season, Otto improved his averages to 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot 43.4 percent from three-point range, giving him the fourth-best three-point shooting percentage in the league that year.

After a highly effective season, the Brooklyn Nets tried to make a run at Otto. On July 4, 2017, the Nets offered Porter Jr. a 4-year, $106.5 million contract- a maximum offer. The Washington Wizards decided to match the offer sheet, retaining Otto Porter. Otto was solid, to say the least over the next seasons until the Chicago Bulls decided he would be a great fit for their squad. On February 6, 2019, the Chicago Bulls sent Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis, and a 2023 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Otto. Just one week after the trade, Otto Porter dropped a career-high 37 points in a win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Since then, he has provided great value for the Bulls but has missed some time due to injury in the 2019-20 season.