If there’s a lesson to be gleaned from the Milwaukee Bucks' early season slump thus far, it’s that sometimes the moves you don’t make come back to haunt you. The five second-round picks Milwaukee spent to land Jae Crowder are one example, as the team now has little (if any) assets to make a trade that improves them meaningfully.
To recall, Milwaukee reportedly turned down a deal that would have swapped Bobby Portis for Grant Williams a year ago. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, "exploratory talks" between Milwaukee and Dallas ultimately fell apart after the Bucks' front office was unwilling to swap Portis for Williams straight up without additional players or draft picks to sweeten the deal.
Of course, with Portis still in the thick of Sixth Man of the Year conversations that season, general manager Jon Horst likely had very valid reasons for doing so at the time. As the season unfolds, though, the decision to let that deal pass them by is starting to look like a misstep more and more.
Grant Williams may not be the flashiest player in the association, but his blue-collar defensive tenacity and competent floor spacing could be exactly what the Bucks need right now—especially when Bobby Portis has struggled to find his rhythm.
Bobby Portis is struggling in all the areas Williams would have helped
Williams has already carved out a reputation as a no-nonsense defender who thrives in high-stakes moments.
At just 6-foot-6 with a strong build, he has the versatility to switch onto multiple positions, guard in isolation and even provide help defense at the rim. This is the kind of intensity Milwaukee sorely needs after showing cracks on the defensive end through their rocky 2-7 start.
Williams isn’t just a defender; he’s also a reliable shooter off the catch. He's a career 37.6 percent shooter from beyond the arc, which is no doubt a skill the Bucks could capitalize on as they aim to stretch the floor for their stars in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton.
Just look at what he does for the Charlotte Hornets currently. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Hornets score +21.2 points per 100 possessions more when Williams plays, an offensive rating good for the 98th percentile.
Meanwhile, opponents shot -6.3 points fewer per 100 and -4.2 effective field goal percentage points less whenever Grant was on the floor. His 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game may not show it, but he's been an indispensable part of Charlotte's rotation.
Meanwhile, Bobby Portis, once upon a time a fan favorite and an undeniable part of Milwaukee’s title journey, has not brought his A-game this season despite the possibility of a contract extension up in the air. Per PBP Stats, the Bucks get outscored by a net 18.3 points every time Portis steps on the floor. The naked truth right now is that Bobby Portis has been bad for the team.
Portis’ offensive inconsistency is beginning to hurt Milwaukee, and his limited defensive ability has been an Achilles’ heel, especially against younger, quicker teams.
Portis is an effective scorer when in rhythm, but right now, he just doesn’t bring the two-way consistency or positional flexibility that Williams could offer. With Portis on the court, Milwaukee is averaging fewer stops and giving up more points in transition—a painful statistic for a team that aims to compete in a tightly packed Eastern Conference.
Turning down a Portis-Williams swap might have made sense on paper at the time, especially given Portis' popularity, locker room chemistry and track record with the Bucks. But the Bucks' current problems—lack of defensive quickness, floor spacing and energy—are issues Williams could have directly addressed.
Williams, with his ability to hit big shots and guard at a high level, would likely have gelled well with Milwaukee’s stars and improved their spacing on offense.
Milwaukee's past moves are coming back to haunt them
None of this is to say that Williams is the better player of the two; he is simply not, and it would be nothing short of disinformation to imply otherwise. But at the same time, there is probably some merit to the idea that he might be a better fit for this iteration of the Milwaukee Bucks, considering what he brings to the floor.
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and anyone could come to these same conclusions after seeing how things have played out thus far. But the truth is that Williams’ combination of defensive tenacity and offensive efficiency is exactly what Milwaukee is missing, especially with their bench failing to make an impact.
This early-season skid has exposed some glaring holes, and the Milwaukee Bucks are now realizing that in a league where every asset matters, standing pat may have been the wrong call.
As the Milwaukee Bucks work to find answers, they may have to live with the reality that this deal, among others that they've made in the past, could have changed things for them.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.