Bobby Portis occupied Bucks trade rumors at yet another deadline this season, and yet again, he remained in Milwaukee. The team had a good reason for keeping him around. Even if they do end up trading Portis at some point, waiting for a clearer picture to emerge in the summer makes a lot of sense.
Then, the Bucks will have three tradeable first-round draft picks, allowing them to swing for the fences to bring in a star. In that case, they'll want Portis' salary available to package into a deal.
Portis was too valuable a trade chip for Bucks expend him at the deadline
In 2026-27, year two of the extension he signed last summer, Portis will make $14.5 million. Aside from Kyle Kuzma ($20.3 million) and Myles Turner ($26.6 million), Portis is the only Buck not named Giannis Antetokounmpo under contract for at least $10 million next season. In combination with Kuzma, for example, his salary could help match the incoming contract of a highly paid star.
Even this February, before the Bucks ultimately pivoted to a low-key approach, Portis was involved in Zach LaVine, Ja Morant, and even Malik Monk rumors as a key outgoing trade chip. That will remain the case if Milwaukee goes star-hunting again this summer. Only then, they'll have the assets to acquire a bona fide All-Star.
Not that Portis isn't valuable in his own right. True, his defensive shortcomings have been glaring at times in Milwaukee, but no one can deny that Bobby Buckets knows how to put the ball in the hoop. When he gets going, that smooth baseline jumper of his has a magnet for nylon.
Portis has also been scorching from beyond the arc. Only in 2020-21, his first season as a Buck, has he made threes at a higher rate than his 45 percent clip this season. He recovered from a slow start out of the gate to put up All-Star break numbers right in line with his recent averages. Boosted by a strong December and January with Giannis often sidelined, overall, Portis has contributed 13.2 points and 6.6 rebounds a night.
On many occasions earlier this season, his scoring off the bench was the raft that kept the offense afloat.
In the future, however, Portis may find less of a fit on the Bucks' roster. Pete Nance and Ousmane Dieng look like young, athletic pieces of a potential core. Both offer two-way upside that Portis does not. Although he has re-established himself as an offensive weapon, there are nights he still roams the floor like a dinosaur, out of place in a faster-paced scheme. At 31, he is one of the oldest players on the roster.
The fact that Portis survived another trade deadline doesn't mean he'll be here much longer. Perhaps, the Bucks are just waiting to make him part of a monster move a few months down the road.