Bobby Portis has a player option worth $13.4 million for next season. Having just turned 30, it feels as if declining that option to secure a long-term deal is a realistic outcome. In fact, the Milwaukee Bucks big man's recent comments on FanDuel's Run It Back all but cement that is what the center will do this coming offseason.
"It all depends on how everything shakes out," Ports said of a potential return to Milwaukee. " I would love to be here in Milwaukee. I love it here. They call me 'The Mayor' here, right? So it's kind of hard to leave a city where you're 'The Mayor,' but, obviously, it's going to be up in the air with how they maneuver the roster, whatever they want to bring back. It's really going to be all on the organization to want to bring back certain guys...
To know if I want to come back to the Bucks or whether they want to re-sign me, that's so far down the line."
The Bucks have plenty of question marks at center
That last line sticks out, particularly the word re-sign. Portis has seemingly made up his mind that he will opt out; the question is whether or not the Milwaukee Bucks will want him back at a larger, longer number this summer. If it's a reasonable deal financially, retaining Portis does make sense for a Bucks team that currently doesn't have a center on the roster.
While he can be matchup dependent, Bobby Portis fits with the Milwaukee Bucks. Some of their best lineups this season came when he was at the five spot over Brook Lopez. The Bucks could look to use those lineups more frequently next season. In fact, they might have to if they let Lopez walk once free agency opens, which would pave the way for Portis to potentially slide in at the starting five spot.
Truly, while the Milwaukee Bucks should be aiming to get more mobile and athletic at the center spot, something they can do by also bringing back big man Jericho Sims, their options if they let Portis go are slim. This free agent class isn't full of big men who can shoot. Picking 47th, the Bucks will have a shot to add help via the NBA Draft, but maybe not an immediate replacement. The trade market is quite unpredictable.
If the Milwaukee Bucks can come to terms with Portis on a reasonable extension, so be it. It wouldn't hurt to have another tradeable contract on the roster if things go south. However, on the flip side, the Bucks could also perhaps get a motivated Portis after a 25-game suspension took away a good part of his 2024-25 NBA season.
Speaking of that suspension, it will be interesting to see how that impacts Portis' free agent market. Will teams still offer him top reserve money despite missing a prominent part of the year? Perhaps. Only time will tell how this Bobby Portis free agency saga concludes. It's one of the many question marks the Milwaukee Bucks must brace for this coming summer.
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