Because of his bird rights, Portis’ contract won’t block Milwaukee from adding talent outright — but it could make things a lot more complicated behind the scenes.
In a summer where the Bucks badly need flexibility, Portis’ stance might be the thing that quietly boxes them in. In an interview aired over the recent June 16 episode of Run It Back on FanDuel TV, Portis made it clear where he stands as he generates interest from rival teams.
“In this year's free agency, I'm just worried about Bobby Portis, man. I'm worried about what's best for me, my situation, and where can I fit in and play the best basketball. Where can I be the best Bobby Portis, and where can I be compensated correctly?” Bobby said.
Milwaukee has a very real salary logjam problem, but the bigger risk is standing pat
It’s not hard to see where he’s coming from. Portis has outperformed his contract more than once and has taken discount deals to help keep the team competitive. For all of his flaws, he’s the emotional heartbeat of the team, a Sixth Man of the Year finalist, and a productive big who’s always ready to scrap.
So yes, he would be worth every penny of his $13.4 million player option if he opts in. But in this rough and tumble Bucks era post-title, heart and soul only gets you so far. You need pieces and you need depth.
And Portis, without realizing it, might be standing in the way of that.
Now Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently said in a Reddit AMA that while he initially saw Portis as a potential sign-and-trade candidate, he’s now hearing Portis may be more likely to opt in to the final year of his deal.
To be clear: the Bucks can re-sign Portis above the cap thanks to his bird rights.
But if Portis wants a pay bump around the, say, $18 million range, Milwaukee would be sinking even more cash into a stagnant core that hasn’t made it past the first round in three years. They already owe big money to Giannis and Damian Lillard. Add Bobby to that equation on a raise, and the financial gymnastics become even harder to pull off.
Portis is no doubt an asset, but if the Bucks intend to reshape the roster, his contract if he opts in is exactly the kind you need to package in mid-tier trades.
“Obviously, I would love to be in Milwaukee, but I just want to be compensated fairly, man. I've taken a lot of team-friendly deals to be here. We're at a point now where I just want to be compensated fairly to my peers. I'm not really asking for much," Bobby also said over FanDuel TV.
Letting him walk for nothing would sting. But overpaying him and letting that deal sit untouched for another year might sting even worse.
In a way, this isn’t just a Bobby problem; it’s a Bucks problem. A team with limited assets and bloated salaries can’t afford to tie up mid-tier deals in players it’s not fully committed to building around. And that’s where the front office needs to be honest: is Portis part of the next great Bucks team, or just a remnant of the last one?
The answer, as always, should lie somewhere in between. But it might go on to define what kind of moves Milwaukee can make this offseason, and eventually, what kind of team they’ll be next spring.