The latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft from Chris Kline of FanSided.com has the Milwaukee Bucks taking Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. with the 10th overall selection. On paper, adding another guard would not be among the roster's most glaring needs, but what if the Bucks and Kevin Porter Jr. are trending toward a divorce? Then, things certainly would begin to make more sense.
Kevin Porter Jr.'s future in Milwaukee is far from set in stone
This past summer, Porter inked a two-year deal worth $10.5 million, with a player option in the second year. If the NBA season ended today, Porter would opt out of the deal and enter free agency to seek a larger payday. If his current numbers—18.4 points, 7.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game—hold up, there will be a booming market for the guard, and the Bucks may not retain his services.
That is a situation where drafting Labaron Philon Jr. would make a lot of sense. Losing Porter would open up plenty of ball-handling responsibility in the backcourt, and Philon is one of the rising names in college basketball. There is still a lot of season left, but the sophomore looks like he will be a hot commodity on draft day.
In 14 games with Alabama, the guard is averaging 21.3 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 boards, and 1.5 steals per performance. He has primarily shown he can score in bunches, as a sharpened 3-point shot has helped bump his scoring average by nearly 11 points compared to his freshman year, and that he's a legitimate floor general with the ball in his hands.
With any guards the Milwaukee Bucks pursue, they must ask themselves one question: How well does this guard fit with Ryan Rollins? Unlike Porter, Rollins' contract stretches another year before he has to decide on his player option. In the middle of a breakout year, Rollins is cementing himself as one of the few untouchables in town and a legitimate building block.
The two would fit together perfectly. Both can score the ball and handle it while also playing terrific defense on the other side of things. The sweet perimeter shooting they both possess also makes both of them great fits with Giannis Antetokounmpo, who recently reaffirmed that he plans to be with the franchise for the foreseeable future.
Even if the Milwaukee Bucks intend on keeping Porter, if things shake out and Philon is still on the board when they are on the clock, he would make sense as their selection. A guard room featuring Porter, Rollins, and Philon has so much scoring, athleticism, and defense. Yet, taking him would be much more pressing if Porter's future is murky come next summer.