Someone had to go to trim the Milwaukee Bucks roster down to 15 standard players. Unable to find a trade partner, the Bucks have shockingly cut Kevin Porter Jr. It's surprising that they cut him after one of his most productive seasons yet, but it shows the confidence Milwaukee has in their guard tandem of Brayden Burries and Kasparas Jakucionis, who are now destined to play bigger roles.
Bucks have a special young duo here
While the Bucks still have a surplus of guards on the roster, Porter was the player preventing the duo of Burries and Jakucionis from playing a prominent role from the jump. After all, Porter was the sole ball-handling guard for Milwaukee in the second unit outside of these two. Now, Taylor Jenkins must put more responsibility on their shoulders without one of the team's former most productive players.
The prospect of these two playing more is mouth-watering. Burries has looked wise beyond his years, playing like a two-way stalwart and building a strong case to already be the steal of his draft. While he hasn't dazzled quite as much, Jakucionis has still flexed potential in Summer League and preseason, and he will now have an opportunity to display his talent on a much greater scale.
For a team that pivoted hard to youth this summer, parting with Porter makes sense, especially if they want to get Burries and Jakucionis firing on all cylinders sooner rather than later. Now, there should be nothing standing between these two up-and-comers and playing an essential part in the exciting upcoming era of Milwaukee Bucks basketball.
Porter will likely have a robust market
Porter won't be without a home for long. How many teams could use a bucket-getter who averaged 17.7 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this past season? Any franchise looking for help in their second unit should already be on the phone with Porter's agent. Despite the Milwaukee Bucks cutting him, he can be a quality contributor.
While the thought of Burries and Jakucionis playing more helps ease the pain, it does sting that the Bucks had to part with Porter without getting anything in return. Even a second-rounder would have been great. If these two young standouts take advantage and play well in extended minutes, no one will be thinking about a future second-round pick they could have gotten in due time.
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