Several reports have stated that the Milwaukee Bucks are positioning themselves to be buyers at the trade deadline. If that's the stance that they ultimately take, it could mean the end of Bobby Portis' time with the organization, as they would have to use his contract in that kind of trade.
There is still time for the Bucks to back away from that stance, but they don't want to lose Giannis Antetokounmpo. He hasn't publicly requested a trade, at least not yet, and until that happens, Milwaukee will search for ways to upgrade the roster. The organization is limited in what it can do, so the most feasible option is to take on an unwanted contract from another team, which is why Zach LaVine's name has popped up.
Portis is the fourth-highest paid player on the roster this season with a $13.4 million salary, behind Kyle Kuzma, who is making $22.4 million. To land the kind of player that the Bucks may be eyeing to convince Giannis to stay, Portis and Kuzma could both be on the way out.
If Milwaukee does trade Portis, it would be yet another tough goodbye to a key player who helped the team win it all in 2021. It wouldn't be that hard to accept if fans knew it would increase the Bucks' chances of adding another trophy to their case, but the odds of that happening, unfortunately, might not be much higher than they are right now (and they're not high).
Bucks could trade Bobby Portis before the Feb. 5 deadline
There are several reasons why a LaVine trade could backfire, if Milwaukee even makes it that far. Even if Giannis were to hang around past the deadline, he could still decide that he doesn't want to sign an extension with the Bucks over the summer and leave. Would LaVine move the needle enough for Giannis to want to stay? That's a scary question.
When it comes to Portis, another reason the Bucks could regret trading him is that, for the most part (he shot 2-of-11 against the Pistons), he's played well this month. He's averaging 16.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field and three. On the season, he's shooting 47.7% from deep, up from 36.5% last season.
Portis is no stranger to trade rumors, but with Milwaukee's desperation to keep Giannis around, this season could be when the Bucks deal him, for better or for worse.