There is no longer a sense that the Milwaukee Bucks are the same team that started the year 1-6. With a record of 16-12, they have started to look like their old selves, going 7-3 in their last ten games.
Despite this, Bobby Portis’ time in Milwaukee may be coming to an end.
“The Talk Is There” Bucks Named In Massive 3 Team Trade With Hawks And Nets (Report)
After winning the NBA Cup, the Bucks have established themselves as one of the better teams in the East. It is their ceiling that poses the question:
Atlanta Hawks get: Bobby Portis, Shake Milton, Delon Wright
Brooklyn Nets get: Larry Nance, Pat Connaughton, David Roddy, AJ Johnson, 2031 1st round pick (via Milwaukee), 2031 2nd round pick (via Milwaukee)
Milwaukee Bucks get: Cam Johnson, 2025 2nd round pick, 2027 2nd round pick
Why the Hawks would do this trade: Portis shoots well from deep (39.6% on 3.6 attempts a game), brings energy as a rebounder, is under contract for next year and can play center in certain matchups (filling the role of backup center vacated by moving Nance). He’s a versatile rotation piece that can give teams a spark off the bench.
Wright is a solid backup point guard who Atlanta has struggled to replace since his departure. He is also coming off a fantastic game against the Bulls where he racked up 9 points, five rebounds and four assists. Milton is simply veteran guard depth for the Hawks to call upon.
Why the Bucks would do this trade: Johnson is a better player than Portis in almost every fashion. He’s a much better shooter (42% from deep on 7.6 attempts a game), passes well for his size and can hold up on defense.
In addition, he has some experience as a primary offensive option and should be able to function as an efficient third or fourth scorer for the Bucks that still competes on the glass and guards wings. The Bucks do not need as much offense from him, so he can focus solely on being hyper-effective in the areas Milwaukee needs him most.
Here is a look at Portis’ recent stats:
| Date | Team | Opp | Result | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS | GmSc | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-23 | MIL | @ | CHI | W 112-91 | * | 32 | 7 | 18 | .389 | 2 | 6 | .333 | 3 | 4 | .750 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 15.1 | 15 |
| 2024-12-21 | MIL | WAS | W 112-101 | * | 32 | 14 | 21 | .667 | 6 | 9 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 34 | 35.6 | 6 | ||
| 2024-12-20 | MIL | @ | CLE | L 101-124 | 20 | 4 | 9 | .444 | 1 | 2 | .500 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 5.4 | -20 | ||
| 2024-12-14 | MIL | ATL | W 110-102 | 23 | 5 | 10 | .500 | 0 | 3 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 9.4 | -5 | |||
| 2024-12-10 | MIL | ORL | W 114-109 | 32 | 9 | 11 | .818 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 2 | 3 | .667 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 25.4 | 11 |
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