The Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt underwent significant changes this offseason. Damian Lillard was waived, Cole Anthony was added, and Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins came back. Porter showed great glimpses last season, and he will be Milwaukee's likely starting point guard, though he can't get complacent, as the team has replacements.
Trading MarJon Beauchamp for Porter straight up was a seriously lopsided trade win for the Bucks. In his 30 games in Milwaukee, he averaged 11.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on shooting splits of .494/.408/.871. His offensive punch was much-needed midseason, but the potential erratic side of his game could be his downfall should he not control it in the 2025-26 season.
Porter can't fall into old habits should he want to remain in the rotation
Looking at his time before Milwaukee, Porter has always been a solid scorer, and his skill set helps open up opportunities for others, as he has shown a solid facilitator side. One area that stands out, however, is his 3-point shooting. The Bucks led the league at 38.7 percent last year, so that is the perfect recipe for success around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Porter shot at a strong 40 percent with the Bucks, but before this season, he had only shot over 34 percent in two seasons, with a previous low of 24.5 percent with the Los Angeles Clippers before the Milwaukee Bucks acquired him.
Michael Pina said on The Zach Lowe Show, "I think he is one of the worst decision makers in basketball. In LA, before they traded for him, he was an absolute mess. This is not someone I would fundamentally want to shepherd offense through a season of Giannis' prime."
The start of the quote feels extremely harsh. Porter showed that he is a capable player of picking up the slack to support Giannis. One point he does make is that when Giannis sat last season and Lillard was on the team, the offense was still solid, and that there could be a big drop-off with the Bucks not having a secondary "go-to" guy. They are possibly hoping Porter can be that.
Rollins is perhaps the guard with the most intrigue, due to him breaking through as a two-way player to then starting with Lillard out. Last season, he averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 rebounds on shooting splits of .487/.408/.800. He doesn't have the offensive punch of Porter but can bring a steadier hand when running the offense and is perhaps more of a traditional point guard.
Anthony was a very shrewd signing for the Bucks, having been waived by the Memphis Grizzlies. He only shot at 35.3 percent from deep with the Orlando Magic last year, and there are no guarantees that he will be the one starting in the backcourt.
What Milwaukee has is competition for places on the roster, and that was something they didn't have in previous seasons. This will hopefully bring the best out of the three point guards, and there are ways to function with two of them on the court at once. However, one may fall by the wayside if their play dips, something we saw with Andre Jackson Jr. last season.
For now, Porter has a spot in the rotation and his ability to score at all levels will be key to any Bucks' success, but if he falls into old habits, players are waiting for their opportunity to shine.