Bucks Reportedly 'Well-Placed' to Retain Bobby Portis in NBA FA amid Giannis Rumors
The Milwaukee Bucks are positioned to bring back forward Bobby Portis in free agency, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
"My latest intel surrounding longtime Bucks forward Bobby Portis suggests Milwaukee is well-placed to retain the fan favorite," Fischer reported Saturday.
Portis could return to Milwaukee by declining his $13.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and signing a long-term deal with the team instead, per Fischer.
ESPN's Shams Charania previously reported that Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo will be "closely observing" the team's offseason moves.
On May 12, Charania reported that Antetokounmpo was "open-minded" about his long-term future potentially being outside of Milwaukee.
He appears to be headed towards another year with the Bucks, though.
ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that "Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo" on June 18.
One such move could be handing a long-term deal to Portis, who has been teammates with Antetokounmpo for the past five seasons. While Portis has mainly served as the two-time MVP's backup, his ability to space the floor has also allowed the pair to thrive when sharing the court.
The Bucks owned a 121.2 offensive rating when both Portis and Antetokounmpo were on the floor during the 2024-25 season (via NBA.com). For reference, the Cleveland Cavaliers led the league with a 121.0 offensive rating.
Portis has also shown to be a capable scorer on his own, averaging 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on 49.4/39.7/77.6 shooting splits throughout his Bucks career. He finished No. 3 in Sixth Man of the Year voting in both 2023 and 2024.
As the Bucks look to clinch a 10th straight playoff appearance during their 2025-26 campaign, they're also reportedly poised to secure Portis' future with the organization.
