The celebration continues, but the Milwaukee Bucks are now faced with a challenge as they look to run it back from their title-winning campaign.
One of the biggest questions in terms of a Bucks player’s free agency soon here revolves around their beloved sixth man, Bobby Portis. Portis, armed with a $3.8 million player option, has proven to be an impact contributor on a winning team and with that in mind, the expectation is that Portis will look to re-enter free agency after likely declining his option.
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With Milwaukee hard-pressed to likely offer Portis a worthwhile deal as the most they can offer him is their $5.9 million mid-level exception, is it possible that they find his replacement in Jeff Green?
On ESPN’s ‘Woj and Lowe Free Agency Special,’ both ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski certainly intimated that Green could be a replacement for Portis as Green is looking a deal that is above the veteran’s minimum:
"“Woj: Maybe a place for Jeff Green if he were to leave Brooklyn?Lowe: MilwaukeeWoj: Because (the Bucks) have to pay Bobby Portis and they can’t pay Bobby Portis what he’s probably going to get on the market.”"
Does Jeff Green stand a free agent target for the Milwaukee Bucks?
Green has previously spoken on his frustrations about being stuck on veteran minimum contracts with the New York Times’ Sopan Deb earlier this year:
"“It confuses me, but it isn’t frustrating,” Green said in a recent interview. “You know, this stuff, that’s out of my control. I go out and just do the work. And I let my agent handle the logistics of the contract terms, but it is confusing to the point of, ‘What else do I need to do to prove that I’m not a minimum guy?’”"
Woj and Lowe both noted that with the Nets potentially interested in giving out contract extension to each member of their ‘Big 3,’ retaining Green may be tough to do, considering their tax bill.
Again, with the most the Bucks can offer that aforementioned $5.9 million mid-level exception, Green may end up a free agent target to keep in mind as we head up into the start of free agency here next week.
As they later noted, Green brings plenty of size and shooting, the kind of qualities that the Bucks have looked for within their frontcourt, suitable for potentially replacing Portis. Time will tell whether the Bucks will ultimately chase remains to be seen, but we’ll have a better indication when free agency arrives.