Over the years, when it comes to making trades, the Milwaukee Bucks haven't been on the positive end of too many fleeces.
More often than not, they've been the franchise getting fleeced, such as in deals for Jae Crowder and Serge Ibaka, players the Bucks gave up valuable assets to acquire but never lived up to expectations. Hindsight is a thing, of course, but still, it felt like sooner or later, the tide had to turn. And turn it has.
Kevin Porter Jr. has been essential for the Milwaukee Bucks lately
Minutes before the NBA Trade Deadline ended, the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers struck a deal to send MarJon Beauchamp to Los Angeles for Kevin Porter Jr. Before Porter even played a minute for the Bucks, this was viewed as a win for Milwaukee, given that fact that they were adding a player who could legitimately contribute in exchange for an end of the bench player who scarcely played.
What Porter has given the Bucks on the court has only cemented how much of a win this trade was for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Kevin Porter Jr. has been a noticeable force off Milwaukee's bench lately. Following the All-Star break, he's averaged 9.9 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 50.8 percent on his field goal attempts, doing a little bit of everything every single night. Not only is Porter putting up big numbers for them, but he's impacting winning every single night in the process.
Milwaukee's last two games perfectly capture the impact Porter can make whenever he checks in.
With the Milwaukee Bucks looking to stage a fourth-quarter comeback against the Atlanta Hawks with both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard catching their breath, Porter took over. The guard poured in 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting in the final frame, helping fuel a spirited surge as the Bucks secured the win.
His ability to step up and deliver in clutch moments while orchestrating the offense gives the stars time to rest and not have to rush back into the game.
In Milwaukee's latest win over the Dallas Mavericks, the Bucks didn't need Porter to spark a run in the fourth quarter, but he gave them a bit of everything. With 14 assists, 11 rebounds and 10 points, the youngster logged the third triple double of his NBA career. With his own shot not falling, Porter made sure to get his teammates involved while also attacking the glass. As evidenced here, that adds up.
The fact that the Milwaukee Bucks got Porter for MarJon Beauchamp, a player who wasn't in the mix at all on a nightly basis and was waived by the Clippers shortly after his arrival in LA, is proving to be one of Jon Horst's best moves in recent years. If Kevin Porter Jr. can continue playing like he has as of late, this notion will only continue to grow.
Porter, 24, looks like a player who could grow and develop while helping this team for years to come.
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