There were fair arguments on both sides whether or not Bobby Portis would stay or leave Milwaukee this summer, but he's made his decision. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Portis is returning to the Milwaukee Bucks on a new three-year deal worth $44 million, and while it was not mentioned in the report, it could very well lead to him becoming Milwaukee's new starting center.
Portis is sticking around; Lopez might not
While Portis got an extension, Brook Lopez is bracing for free agency. In a recent report, veteran NBA insider Marc Stein said that the growing belief around the league is that Lopez will take his talents to a new squad after seven years in Milwaukee. In that event, the Bucks would need a new starting center, and their best bet might be the one they just gave a nice new deal.
Given how dry the center market will be via trade and free agency, promoting Portis might not be the worst thing, at least temporarily. Down the stretch, he fit right in with Milwaukee's lineups built around athleticism and shooting, which led to him playing big minutes over Lopez. The Milwaukee Bucks must build upon that philosophy next season, so keeping Portis made sense.
All things considered, this isn't a bad deal for Milwaukee at all. Naz Reid, a player many may argue is a little better than Portis, just earned a five-year, $125 million extension despite having similar numbers to Milwaukee's big man last season. If that's the going rate for a high-class big man these days, Portis very well may have just done the Milwaukee Bucks a huge favor.
Portis has been known to take pay cuts during his time in Milwaukee, and that cannot go unnoticed.
With Portis locked in and Lopez likely to walk, the next question for the Milwaukee Bucks is who will be the reserve big man. Just like they kept Portis, retaining Jericho Sims would make plenty of sense for Milwaukee. While Portis is more gifted offensively, Sims is the better defender, utilizing his strong athletic ability to switch from player to player. Having both would be great for versatility purposes.
No matter how they go about it, the Milwaukee Bucks still have a lot of work to do with this roster, but retaining Bobby Portis checks off at least one major box.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.