The front office for the Milwaukee Bucks has done a fantastic job crafting this revamped roster with an aggressive approach dating back to the offseason.
General manager Jon Horst and co. made a slew of moves to bolster the team’s rotation in the offseason, but they never let their foot off the gas as moves continued being made all throughout the regular season. Following the recent news that the Bucks will sign guard Elijah Bryant to a two-year deal, it appears that their roster is finally set for the postseason.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
No matter what happens in these playoffs, the Bucks will have closure for the future knowing that they have their main core pieces like two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez locked in for the foreseeable future.
However, aside from those four veterans, the future for most of the roster remains rather uncertain. The Bucks will have an assortment of key rotational pieces potentially hitting free agency once the season concludes and they could be in the market for bigger paydays.
These players could certainly earn themselves a hefty deal depending on how things play out in the upcoming playoffs. Whether it be with the Bucks or elsewhere, here are four players that could earn a nice raise if they perform in the postseason.
Bobby Portis could earn a payday in the playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks
From the moment he set foot in Milwaukee, Bobby Portis ensured that this signing had nothing to do with the two-year, $7.4 million deal that he had signed with the club.
Portis has reiterated on many occasions how joining a winning culture convinced him to join the Bucks, and he has been a seamless fit in 62 games this year by averaging 11.4 points per game. He is doing it with career-best efficiency as well by shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and 47 percent from behind the arc. The big man has also had a massive impact on the glass, where he is hauling in 7.1 rebounds per game, the second-most on the team behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Set to be in the playoffs for just the second time in his career, Portis will play a key role for the Bucks in that backup power center slot. No matter how things pan out, the 26-year-old will have a big decision to make as he ponders whether to accept his $3.8 million player option to remain with the Bucks next season. Portis could certainly opt out and test the free agent market with a larger deal in mind if he overperforms his contract.
Still, knowing that Portis wants to win and that money was an afterthought in his decision to sign with the Bucks initially, he could very well stay. It would make sense as the big man has carved out a snug role for himself in the rotation in the winning environment he desired, but only time will tell how things pan out.